New Blood
by RobertCop3
Summary: A multi-part fluff fic set in my main timeline. It's a new millennium, Andy and Mai have been married for a few years, and Mai's dojo is financially stable. So they've decided that it's time to start a family. This story chronicles those nine months, from conception to birth. Rated T for suggestive stuff. Now with plot added!
1. The Joys of Conceiving

**New Blood**

by RobertCop3

So, this is a fluff fic I came up with after reading one of the reviews of my smutty one-shot "Sexual Healing." It takes place on my main Fatal Fury/KoF timeline after Andy and Mai have been married for a few years. There isn't a lot of plot in this one, per se, it's just a collection of fluffy "slice of life" moments following the couple's journey to start a family, from the conception of their first-born up to the date of his birth. But I've enjoyed writing it, because Andy/Mai fluff is my thing, man (sorry, Rex!), so I hope you all enjoy reading it.

The cover image for this fic was drawn by shadowpencil on Deviantart. He's actually drawn several pics of pregnant Mai, so I recommend checking out his page if you want to see more.

All characters are the property of SNK/Playmore. I don't own them, the video games, or the anime.

* * *

_Chapter One: The Joys of Conceiving_

**Mino, Japan – The Shiranui Dojo – February 1st, 2001.**

It was an unusually mild winter day, which meant that the snowstorm originally in the forecast was a rainstorm instead. In the master bedroom she shared with her husband, Mai Shiranui-Bogard lay on her back beneath the covers of the futon, listening to the rain slash against the nearby window, and the occasional rumble of thunder.

She wondered if the winter thunderstorm outside was the reason that Andy had been so eager with her. The couple had just finished making love, and Mai felt a small ache in her body from the urgency with which Andy had taken her. Not that she minded. She liked it when Andy got rough, and if she had trouble walking afterwards, it was still far better than any ache she got from fighting.

_Of course, I _did _tease him, so it was partly my fault. _Thirty minutes before they'd wound up in bed together, Andy had been practicing in the gym when he'd heard a knock from the doorway. He'd turned to see his wife standing there, wearing nothing but a smile, holding a fan in each hand, and using them to conceal her nudity. "Come to bed with me," Mai had purred at her husband. "I'm fairly certain I'm ovulating right now, so I need you ASAP." After that, it hadn't taken much for Andy to give up control.

Still on her back, Mai glanced over to her left, saw Andy Bogard laying next to her beneath the sheets, also on his back. His eyes were shut, his breathing still a little heavy, a thin sheen of sweat coating his muscular body. Mai had to resist the urge to crawl over and snuggle him. There was something she needed to do first.

On the other side of the futon, Andy's blue eyes slowly came open. By now, he'd expected to feel the familiar warmth of his wife's body wrapped around him, as Mai never missed a chance to cuddle him after their lovemaking. He sat up a little, and saw that Mai was still on her back, her legs tucked up against her, knees resting on her chin. Her arms were wrapped around her shins, and she rocked gently from side to side.

"Um, Mai..." Andy asked her. "What... what is that you're doing?"

"Oh, this?" Mai turned her head to look at her husband, but she remained in the same position, doing the same gentle motion. "I read about this on the internet. Supposedly, this position makes it easier for your swimmers to... you know, get where they need to go."

Andy had to suppress a laugh. Ever since the dojo had gotten the internet connection last year, it had been a mixed blessing. On the one hand, a home computer was great at keeping the personal data and the progress for each of their students organized in a format that was easy to update. But on the other hand, ever since Mai had stopped taking her birth control pill at the start of the New Year (they'd had a discussion a few months before then, and decided that after Mai's twenty-seventh birthday, they would start to try for a baby), she kept finding all these websites and chat rooms on the subject of pregnancy and female anatomy. And she was always eager to share her findings with Andy, though Andy was not always eager to hear it. In the last month, he'd probably learned more about how vaginas worked than any man cared to know.

"You know, I'm actually relieved that Hanzo-sensei didn't live to see the dojo get internet," he remarked. "I think he'd have called it 'an invention for fools.'"

Mai rolled her eyes, but in the end, she relented. "I _know _that's what he would have called it. And yes, I know that not everything on it is fact. But I feel that the pregnant gals I've been talking to in chat rooms would at least know something."

"Still," said Andy. "Since you're so eager to research it, I'd feel better if you got some pamphlets from your doctor, or maybe check out a book from the library written _by_ a doctor."

Mai giggled. "It's a new millenium, Andy. We gotta change with the times. Everything is going digital now."

"Doesn't mean we have to stop getting our advice from experts. I mean, how do you know the person that told you about that... tucked-up, rocking thing you're doing... is an expert?"

Mai giggled even harder and stretched her legs out again. "You really are an old soul. But that's why I love you." She then inched over to his side of the futon and snuggled up against him. "Okay, Andy... I will get a book or two from the library, written by a doctor. But I'd like us to read it together."

"Do I gotta, Mai?" Andy asked her, uttering a phrase he'd not used in a very long time, one that he now only saved for when he really needed it.

Mai giggled and lightly slapped one of his pecs. "Yes, my love. You do. We're a team, remember? Even though I'm gonna be the one carrying this kid, I still want you to be a part of the experience. As much as you can be."

Andy laughed and kissed Mai on her brow. "All right. You agreed to get a _real _book on the subject, so the least I can do is read it with you. That's fair."

For a while, they just lay there, Mai's warm body pressed against Andy's, both of them listening to the rain drumming on the roof. Then Mai said: "It's also fair to tell you, Andy, that there's a chance this might not take."

"What do you mean?" Andy asked her.

Mai propped herself up on one elbow and started to rub her husband's cheek. "Well, the test I took before I came to get you told me I was ovulating, but these tests aren't a hundred percent accurate. Also, it can't tell me when I started. It could have started yesterday, in which case the egg may have dried up already."

"So... what you're saying," Andy told her. "Is that there's a chance that you and I might have to have do this _again_? Mai, that's so unfair."

Mai giggled, and ran the tips of her fingers up and down Andy's ab muscles. "Andy, you are so hot when you use sarcasm." She then pressed her lips to his in a slow, deep kiss. "Speaking of again, are you ready for another round?"

"If you insist," Andy said, still using the same sarcastic tone. Mai kept giggling, until Andy silenced her with a kiss, and then they began...

* * *

**February 5th, 2001**

The hour was late, and Andy sat in bed, reading through the lesson plans for the coming week. Earlier, he'd tried printing off a spreadsheet grouping their students by how far along they had come in their studies, and the katas each one should be practicing based on that. But for some reason, the sheet he'd printed contained a bunch of random Japanese characters that didn't even spell words.

"I'm convinced that computer is alive, and doesn't like me," Andy had told his wife.

Mai giggled and said: "Because it knows you're an old soul, honey. Here, let me print it for you."

Andy was now looking over the sheet Mai had printed, making sure everything looked good before Mai got out of the bathroom. The wink she'd given him before she started her shower told him that he'd better not be holding a spreadsheet by the time she was finished.

The bathroom door opened a few minutes later, and Mai emerged with a towel wrapped around her body, and another wrapped around her hair, looking extremely annoyed. Andy quickly moved the spreadsheet to his nightstand as silently as possible. "Everything okay?" He asked her.

"Bad news, Andy," said Mai. "_It _started while I was in the shower."

Andy looked confused until Mai pointed a finger downwards. "Oh," he said with an understanding nod. "I'm sorry, Mai."

The ninja girl said nothing. She simply walked to her dresser, dropped her towel, and donned a pair of hip-hugging boy-shorts and a red chemise. She then moved to her vanity, unwrapped the second towel, and started to finish her hair.

"Lots of couples don't get it on the first try," Andy added. "It just means we need to try again. We've got time, Mai. It'll happen."

Mai paused in the act of brushing her long, copper hair. "I know it will, Andy. It _was_ wishful thinking that it might happen on the first try. It's just... ever since I've been in love with you, back in high school, I've dreamed of someday having your baby. That's a long time to dream, but... you're right. We'll get it eventually. The thing annoying me the most is that... I really wanted you to do me tonight, and now we can't." She resumed brushing, and then used an elastic to tie her hair back. She then got up and made her way over to the futon.

Andy smiled and offered her his arms. "We can still cuddle, if you want."

Mai found her frustrations melting at the sight of her husband's smile. _How does he do that to me so easily?_ She then thought about how demanding she'd been over the last few days, constantly interrupting him because she was so eager for a kid, and decided that she wanted to make it up to him now.

"We could, Andy," she said, as a flirty smile crept over her lips. "But not yet. I want to do something else first." She crawled over to him, and then pressed her lips to his, kissing him passionately. "If I can't have you one way, I can still have you another way." Her kisses traveled down his neck, then his chest, while her hands reached for the waistband on his sweatpants.

"Mai," Andy asked her. "What are you doing?"

Mai paused and gazed lustfully up at him. "I'm doing my wifey duties," she said in her cute/sexy voice. "And giving my handsome hubby something to tide him over until I'm off the rag."

Andy placed his hands on Mai's shoulders. "It's okay, Mai, you don't have to do that."

Mai's brow scrunched up in frustration. "You're right, I don't have to do it. But I _want_ to. Honestly, Andy, what man says 'no' to something like this?"

"Well, it's just that... I can't do anything for you in return, so... it doesn't seem fair."

Mai gave a sigh and shook her head at her husband. "Andy, that's very sweet of you to say. But you already do so much for me in bed. Sometimes I just want to give you something back, even though I know you can't return the favor. So relax and enjoy this. You deserve it, okay? And I'm happy to give it to you, I really am."

Andy smiled at her and gently caressed her cheek. "Okay, Mai. Continue with your 'wifey duties.'"

"Yes, sir," Mai said with a giggle, and continued to move her head downwards. A short time later, her wifey duties completed, Mai was propped up on her own pillow, while Andy leaned back against her, head resting on her bosom, dozing lightly with a smile on his face.

"That was the best, Mai," Andy whispered. "Thank you."

Mai wrapped her arms around Andy's waist. "It was my pleasure," she whispered back. "I want you to let me do things like this for you more often, because you don't let me do them enough, okay?"

Andy gave a sigh of contentment. "I don't deserve you."

Mai giggled. "The fact that you would say that is exactly why you do." Mai kissed him tenderly on the cheek. "Now get some rest, my love. You'll need it this time next week." With that, Mai reached over and switched off her bedside lamp.

* * *

**February 20th, 2001**

"Aaaaaan-deeee..."

Andy Bogard heard his name being called sweetly from the doorway of the study. He turned from the computer, where he was trying to print out something last minute before their students began to arrive for class, and saw Mai Shiranui-Bogard standing there in her red and white kunoichi uniform, hands resting on her hips in a very alluring pose.

"I just took a teeeest..." Mai purred, as she started towards her husband.

Andy rolled his eyes. "How many of those did you buy?"

"Enough. And it said that..."

"Let me guess: you're fertile!"

"Ding ding ding! Correct! And for guessing the right answer, you get a reward!"

Mai began to untie the white sash around her waist, pretty much the only thing that held her costume on, but Andy raised a hand.

"Mai, our students will start arriving in about ten minutes!"

"Then you'd better give me a quickie."

"Right... right here?"

"Mm hm. We gotta do this before it's too late!"

"No, Mai, this time I have to put my foot down. It's too risky! There's too much of a chance someone might walk in. We can do it after class!"

Mai made a pouty face, pursing her full red lips. "But then it might be too late! Come on, Andy!" Her expression changed then, and she flashed Andy a coy wink. "Consider it a challenge: can you finish in under five minutes?"

"Mai..." Andy started to protest again, but Mai finished untying her sash, shrugged her uniform off onto the floor, and now stood there in only her panties and her tabi socks. The sight of that, along with Mai's use of the "C" word, destroyed any resistance Andy had left.

He sighed in defeat and started to untie the waist sash on his own fighting outfit. "All right. Get over here..."

* * *

**April 15****th****, 2001**

Andy Bogard should have been feeling relief as he stood on the tatami mats in the center of the dojo's gym and entered into his warm-up katas. Mai was currently out of the house, which meant that Andy had some much-needed alone time to polish his techniques. The last several weeks had been taxing on him, to the point where Andy was surprised he hadn't lost weight.

When Mai had gotten her period at the 1st of March, she was convinced that the store-bought ovulation tests were a scam, so she began to look up other ways of testing online. Most of the methods she found there relied on monitoring things like heart rate and her body's Ph. The only problem was, these were even less reliable, so Mai _always_ thought she was ovulating, and was constantly interrupting Andy's daily routines, demanding that he give her the business. It was getting so bad that Mai had even tried to instigate it one evening while they were on a date, and had come _this _close to dragging her husband into the ladies room of the movie theater for a quickie. Andy had put his foot down at that one, saying that Mai was not going to get it until they were home. So they'd left without seeing the end of the movie.

The worst part about it was, Andy had always enjoyed making love to his wife. _Really _enjoyed it. A woman like Mai was a unique flower, so Andy had always tried to treat her as such in bed. But Mai was demanding it so much lately, it was starting to feel less like a special, intimate bond between just the two of them, and more like a chore. Andy hated himself for thinking that, but he was reaching his wit's end.

So he should have been feeling relief right now that he had this time to relax, and work on his ninjitsu. Instead, he felt worried. Mai had left for the doctor's office a few hours ago (they'd been doing it so much lately, that she only recently noticed she hadn't had her period at the start of April), and Andy felt that there was probably another reason she hadn't come home yet. But still... she'd been gone far longer than a checkup should have taken. And if Mai had decided to run errands afterwards, she'd have called the dojo from the waiting room to tell Andy that.

After trying for the fifth time to make it through his warm-ups, and stumbling yet again, Andy realized he wouldn't be able to concentrate. So he left the gym, walked to the master bedroom, stripped off his workout clothes, and grabbed a shower. After getting out, he put on a clean white tunic and slacks, and moved to the reading room to study one of the Shiranui clan scrolls.

He didn't know how long he'd been reading when he heard a familiar, cheery voice call from the foyer: "Tadaima!" Andy got up and made his way out of the reading room, down the hall, and to the entryway, where he saw his wife removing her rain boots.

Mai Shiranui-Bogard smiled cheerfully when she saw her husband in the frame of the doorway. "Hi, Andy!" She said in her usual bubbly voice. "God, it's wet out there today!" She then took off her jacket and hung it on a peg on the wall, hanging her umbrella next to it a moment later.

"That took a while," Andy remarked. "Was the doctor busy?"

"Oh, I _was_ gone a long time, wasn't I?" Mai asked him. Then she walked over to the doorway and put her arms around his waist. "I'm sorry, honey, I had to make a stop on the way home."

"I figured that's what it was. Where'd you go?"

"Oh... just to the cemetery, to have a chat with the family."

"Is everything okay?" Andy asked her.

Mai gazed up at him, then, her sparkling brown eyes looking more radiant than they usually did. "Everything is fine, Andy. Everything's perfect. I just wanted my family to be the first to hear the news... that in about eight months, you and I are gonna be parents."

It took Andy a moment to register what that meant, and then his jaw dropped open. "You... you're pregnant?"

"Mm hm," Mai said with a nod. "For about four or five weeks now."

"Do... do we know if it's okay?"

Mai shook her head. "It's still too soon to tell. I go back to them in about five weeks for an ultrasound, and then they should be able to hear a heartbeat."

Andy stood there in the entryway with his mouth still open, his blue eyes looking slightly past Mai now. "Andy," he heard her say, and so he turned his gaze back to her. "I know this is an entirely new thing for you to process. So talk to me, okay? What are you thinking?" Her hand moved to the center of his chest. "What are you _feeling? _You know you can tell me anything."

"I..." Andy started to say. "I feel..." It was one of those moments where Andy had so much he wanted to say, his words failed him completely. He felt relief that his first ordeal was over, but anxious that a new one would soon begin. He was excited, but also a little scared at the idea of being a father. As always, he felt his undying love for his wife. So many different feelings all at once, he didn't know what to say. So he chose the only other form of expression he knew, when it came to Mai.

He leaned down, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her closer, kissing her firmly, yet so tenderly on her lips, with that intense passion that always left Mai breathless. The ninja girl leaned into the kiss as much as she could, letting herself become lost in the overwhelming sensation of it, as she always enjoyed doing whenever Andy kissed her this way.

Finally, he pulled his lips back and smiled down at her, lightly caressing his cheek. "I love you, Mai," he said. "I've never been happier to be your husband. That's... what I feel the most right now."

A tear of joy escaped Mai's eye. "I love you so much," she whispered, and then they locked lips again.

After the second kiss had ended, Mai said: "Come on, Andy, let's get out of this drafty foyer and get warm in bed together. We've got some celebrating to do."

Andy's brow then creased with worry. "Um, are you sure we can still do... you know... _that_? I mean, like it won't..."

Mai laughed, and then pressed her lips against Andy's again in a soft, moist kiss. After she came up for air, she laughed some more, and said: "God, you are just _so _adorable. Yes, Andy, of course we can still have sex. We're not gonna hurt the baby. It won't even know what we're doing!"

She could tell by his expression that Andy had one more misgiving, so Mai quickly added: "I didn't read that online. My OB/GYN told me it was safe."

Andy sighed with relief. "Oh. Okay, then." With that, Andy picked his wife up off the floor and carried her bridal-style to their bedroom, with Mai giggling and squealing the entire way.

A short time later, after the deed was done, the couple lay together under the covers, Andy spooning against Mai from behind. Andy's muscular arms were wrapped around her, one hand resting gently, almost protectively, over her stomach. He'd always been protective of his wife (which Mai thought was cute, as long as Andy remembered that she was a ninja, and didn't need to be looked after 24-7), but this time he felt there was another level to it, because Mai had a life inside of her womb. His child. Laying there now, Andy made a silent vow to himself that he'd die before he ever saw his wife or their child come to harm.

"I love you, Andy," Mai whispered softly to him. "I know I've been... a little demanding over the last month. So I'm sorry if I've been wearing you out."

Andy sighed happily and took in a breath, enjoying the floral bouquet of Mai's hair. "It's okay, Mai," he said. "I'm just glad I'll be getting a little break. I mean, don't get me wrong: I always enjoy making love to you. What man wouldn't? But, given how much of it you were demanding from me lately, and the circumstances around some of those times, I was afraid that it was starting to lose its intimacy."

Mai rolled over to face him then, propped her head up with her elbow. "Andy... I wish you'd said something sooner. I'm sorry you felt that way. Honestly, the sex felt _more _intimate to me. Maybe because we weren't just doing it out of pure lust, or to satisfy some basic need. We were doing it specifically to make a baby, the ultimate expression of our love for each other. To me, that just made it feel even _more _erotic."

Andy moved his gaze away from his wife's beautiful eyes, down towards the pillow, as he processed what Mai had said. "_I'm _the one who's sorry, Mai. I'm sorry I never had that same realization."

Mai giggled and cupped his chin with her other hand, raised his head up again to face her. "That's okay, Andy. I'm sure it was harder for you. I mean, I _have _been acting like some crazy succubus who was out to harvest your seed, and for that I'm sorry. Tell you what... let me make it up to you?"

Andy smiled and raised one eyebrow. "How?"

"Well, I could cook you spaghetti and natto tonight. And then after dinner, we could take a bath together, and I can perform my 'wifey duties.' You haven't let me do that to you in a while."

Andy laughed and kissed his wife on the forehead. "You drive a hard bargain, Mai," he said. "I accept."

"Great!" Mai said, and kissed Andy back. She then shifted track for a moment, as the realization of just how their lives were going to change started to set in. "I can't wait to start calling people, Andy. First, we need to call your brother and Mary, then we need to call Joe, we need to call the Sakazakis, and King, and Athena, and Chizuru, and Xiangfei..." As the ninja girl spoke, her voice rose to a squeal. "Oh, Andy, this is so exciting! We're having a _baby!"_

Andy simply smiled at his wife's enthusiasm. "Before we start making calls," he said to her. "Can we just rest here a little longer?"

Mai smiled back and snuggled up against her husband. "Of course we can, Andy."

Andy leaned down and gave Mai a deep, passionate kiss. "I love you," he whispered to her after coming up for air.

"I love you," Mai whispered back, and rested her head against the nape of his neck. The two lovers lay there in each others' arms for at least another hour, enjoying the moment of blessed tranquility, knowing that such moments would get fewer and farther between in the coming months, as their lives were going to get a lot more hectic...

* * *

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Special thanks to JojoDO, who proofread several parts of this chapter. I wanted this fic to be T-Rated, but we _are _dealing with how babies are made, so it runs the risk of getting too racy. Jojo's feedback probably saved this from getting an M Rating. I owe you a steak dinner if we ever meet in person, Jojo.

Also, the reason this fic takes place in the year 2001 is because that's also the year my fanfic "No Touching" takes place, and I do make mention in that story that Mai and Andy are expecting. And since the characters actually age in my timeline, Mai would turn twenty-seven on January 1st, 2001.

And I assume you already knew what I meant, but just in case you didn't, "wifey duties" = "blowjob."

Hope to have another chapter up soon. Just wanted to reiterate: very little plot in this one. Just slices of life throughout those nine months. Thanks for reading thus far. Please review and let me know if I kept it T-Rated.


	2. The Not-Joy of Raging Hormones

So, the good news, I _have_ a plot now. It started out small, and then it started to snowball. I'll be working it into the coming chapters, and I'm very excited about it. Don't get me wrong, there will still be lots of fluff, but I also found an excuse to add some action and suspense. Hope you all enjoy it!

All characters are the property of SNK/Playmore. I don't own them, the video games or the anime.

* * *

_Chapter Two: The Not-Joy of Raging Hormones_

**Mino, Japan – The Shiranui Dojo. May 02, 2001**

Mai Shiranui-Bogard knelt in front of the porcelain god in the master bathroom, and spit the last few lingering flecks of grit from her mouth into the bowl. She waited another minute to make sure that nothing else came up, then she stood, flushed, and moved over to the sink.

She picked up her toothbrush, then she realized that this might not be the last time her stomach would betray her today, so she set it back down and simply rinsed her mouth instead, first with some warm water, then with a little mouthwash.

_At least I already had my hair in a ponytail, _she thought as she finished her expectorations, shut off the tap on the sink, and then exited the bathroom. As she walked, she let out her forelocks, which she'd tucked into the collar of her house robe before she'd started to vomit. The very first time she'd experienced morning sickness, her forelocks had drooped into the toilet bowl, something that Mai had spent most of the rest of that day fuming about (though mostly to herself, as Andy had wisely decided to go train in the mountains for a few hours).

The kunoichi had read about the nausea and vomiting associated with morning sickness, but what she hadn't been prepared for were these _other _symptoms. At the moment, it felt like someone was trying to bore into her skull with a jackhammer, while at the same time someone inside her head was trying to bore their way _out. _Every step that Mai took across the hardwood floor on her way back to the bed only sent fresh waves of pain shooting from the back of her head all the way down her spine. She swore that she could even feel the pain start to reverberate down through her generous bosom, as well.

The ninja girl gave a small grunt of misery as she eased her way onto the futon. Her OB/GYN had told her that Tylenol was safe to take, but so far it was not helping, and Mai was afraid to go over the dose that he had recommended for her. She lay back on the mattress, rested her head gingerly against her pillows, and reached for the damp washcloth that rested on the floor by her nightstand.

She scowled when she felt how warm it had gotten. "Already?" She muttered. Then she called for her husband as loudly as her skull-splitting migraine would let her: "ANDY!"

Within a few minutes, the blond ninja appeared in the doorway of their bedroom. "What do you need?" He asked her.

"What took you so long?" Mai grumbled. Andy didn't think it had taken him that long, but he simply said nothing, lest he incur more ire from Mai. After a moment, Mai added: "My compress is too warm now. Bring me another cold one."

"Okay," Andy said with a nod. He then moved to Mai's bedside, and retrieved her washcloth. He then made his way back to the bedroom door as quickly, but as softly as he could, knowing that he would hear it from Mai if his footsteps were too loud.

"And some tea with ginger root!" Mai called right before Andy left the room. The ninja girl then shut her eyes and did her best to keep still, as both light and movement seemed to set off the bombs that exploded merrily inside her head. She didn't know how much time had passed before she heard Andy's footsteps moving carefully across the bedroom floor. A moment later, she felt a pleasant, soothing burst of ice as the half-frozen washcloth was draped across her forehead.

"Mmmmm," Mai gave a sigh of contentment and opened her eyes, doing her best to ignore the knives of pain that lanced through them. She saw Andy kneeling next to her, looking concerned. "Where's the tea?" Mai asked without a hint of thanks for the compress that Andy had prepared.

"Still brewing," Andy said as patiently as he could. "After it's ready, I'm gonna leave the pot in here with you, since it's almost time for class.

It was then Mai noticed that Andy was dressed in his fighting gi. "Ah, that's right. We have class today. Are you _sure _that you can handle it yourself?"

"Well, yeah," Andy answered her. "I mean, that's one of the reasons that we decided to start having kids. We both felt we'd grown comfortable enough as senseis that I could take over all the teaching duties on days when you wouldn't be able to."

Mai scowled as she sat up slightly. "You mean, when I get all fat and ugly and can barely move my chunky ass? Because that's what's gonna happen, you know."

Andy shrugged. "That doesn't matter to me. I'll love you no matter how big you get."

"Oh, you're only saying that 'cause you _have _to."

"No, Mai, I mean it. This is what I signed up for when I married you."

Mai groaned as a fresh wave of pain bounced around the inside of your head. "This is _your_ fault , you know. You're the reason I feel like shit right now. _You _put this kid in my uterus."

Andy's patience finally started to wear around the edges. "Um... because you wanted me to."

"Well, it only takes one to tango, Andy," Mai retaliated. "Because it's the guy who gets the girl pregnant. If there were no men in the world, women wouldn't get knocked up. So it _is _your fault. You're the reason I'm suffering, you jerk!"

Andy was fairly certain that Mai was not taking any medication except Tylenol, and then only the dose her doctor had recommended to her. And he knew Mai wasn't drinking alcohol. So he could only assume the level of pain she felt was causing this delirious rant. He wisely decided to drop it and said to her: "I'll go see if the tea is ready."

Mai gave another groan in response. So Andy simply retreated to the kitchen, and blew a sigh of relief when he saw that the kettle was boiling. He put the ingredients into Mai's favorite teapot, then added the steaming water. Before putting the lid on to steep, Andy decided to add extra shaved ginger root. Since there were a number of medications that Mai couldn't take at the moment, she'd been looking into more natural remedies for what was ailing her, and ginger was supposedly good for nausea.

_I sure hope so_, Andy thought as he moved the teapot to a tray, along with a cup, then carried it back to the master bedroom. Mai was laying back on her pillows, with the ice-cold washcloth covering her forehead and eyes, and she did not stir when Andy entered. So he placed the tray on her nightstand, and then cleared his throat. "I'm gonna go get ready for class. And I should probably tell them why you're absent."

"Fine, Andy," Mai grumbled. "Just please stop talking. My head is killing me. It's so bad, it's like even my _boobs _are getting a headache."

"Um, okay," Andy answered, once more uncertain how to respond to that. "The tea is on your nightstand." He then got up and left, shutting off the light and closing the door as he did.

A short time later, after class had started and their students had gathered on the practice field, Andy made the announcement that Mai was too sick to teach today. "And I should probably tell you," he went on. "That I'm going to be teaching solo more and more in the coming months. Because Mai-sensei and I are expecting a baby."

This announcement was met with applause, followed by several minutes of congratulations from the students, and questions on how long Mai had been pregnant, and when the due date might be. One of the cheekier kohai said loudly: "Way to go, Andy-sensei! Rrrrowf!" A few of those around him tried their best to muffle their laughter.

Andy cleared his throat and singled out the student who had just spoken: "Tell me, Chikashi-san, are you feeling a little cold right now?"

The one called Chikashi slowly shook his head. "No, sensei."

"Because you look cold to me," Andy told him. "Why don't you warm up by running ten laps around the field? The rest of you, keep working on the defensive holds we were practicing last time. And remember, Chikashi-san: I'm counting."

Chikashi gave a small groan as he jogged to the edge of the field to obey his master's command. For the next few hours, Andy was able to lose himself in the discipline and relaxation of teaching ninjitsu. After class was done for the day, Andy killed a little more time by working on some of his own forms. He wasn't trying to avoid his wife, just steeling himself a little before he had to venture back inside.

That time they'd spent snuggling in bed together after Mai told Andy the news that she was pregnant seemed like a distant memory now. Only a few days after that, Mai began to experience the morning sickness. Sometimes she would only lose her breakfast, and then be okay for the rest of the day. But sometimes it would be more severe, like it was today: Mai would be unable to hold anything down, and she'd be bedridden due to severe headaches (as well as pains elsewhere in her body). On those days, Andy tread extremely carefully, since Mai could be like the Incredible Hulk: fine one moment, and then _extremely _testy the next (testy even for Mai).

Finally, he saw that the sun started to sink behind the mountains, signalling the onset of evening, and Andy realized he couldn't put it off any longer. He left the practice field, gave himself a quick rinse in one of the wooden Teppouburos in the bath house, donned some clean clothes, and made his way back towards the dojo, where Mai and her hormones awaited him.

Mai seemed a lot better when Andy re-entered the master bedroom, a transformation that seemed almost like Hyde back to Jekyll. She was propped up on her pillows, sipping a cup of ginger tea, and she gave the mattress a pat with her free hand. "Come here, Andy," she said sweetly to her husband.

Andy cautiously approached the bed and sat down on it. "How do you feel?" He asked her.

"I'm fine. Well, not fine. Still feeling a little lousy, but a lot better than I was a few hours ago." Mai reached over and placed her hand over his. "Andy, I'm sorry for my outburst earlier. I was being a total bitch. God, what I was saying didn't even make sense, did it?"

"It's okay," said Andy. "I know that... your..."

"...My hormones are making me a crazy bitch," Mai finished for him.

"That's... not what I was going to say."

"But it's the truth. And anyway, it's no excuse. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that, not when you were trying to help. And... I do appreciate your help."

"I think... it's kind of an excuse," Andy said. "I mean, I've been reading that book with you, but I still can't understand what your body must be going through. I can never understand that."

"Still," Mai told him. "I do want to try harder not to take it out on you when I have days like this." She then gave him a smirk. "Even though it _is _your fault."

"Takes two to tango," Andy retorted, and Mai giggled at him. Andy leaned forward to kiss her, but Mai raised a hand to stop him.

"No, don't kiss me!" She said, recoiling slightly. "I've been throwing up, remember? My mouth feels all icky right now."

For a moment, Andy looked crestfallen. Then he asked: "Can I at least give you a hug?"

Mai smiled and set her teacup down on the nightstand. "Just don't hug me too tight, okay? My boobs are really tender right now. And not in the good way."

Andy inched closer to her and gently wrapped his arms around his wife, still keeping a few inches of space between their chests. He sighed happily as he stroked Mai's ponytail, and nuzzled her bangs with his chin.

After they finished their hug, Andy asked his wife if she wanted something to eat.

"Well, I'm not hungry," said Mai. "But I should probably try to eat for the baby's sake. Though I really don't feel up for cooking."

"Well, I'd offer to cook, but... I can only make one thing, and... I know you hate it."

For a moment, Mai gazed thoughtfully at her husband. "I just had a brainstorm, Andy. Take me to the kitchen and I can sit at the table and talk you through cooking an actual dish."

"Um... do you think that's a good idea, Mai? I'm... a pretty bad cook."

"I think it's a great idea," Mai said with a giggle. "You and I are a team, remember? With me there telling you what to do, I'm sure it'll turn out fine. Besides, someday you might need to make dinner for our kids, and I'd like you to know how to do more than cook spaghetti and natto."

Andy shrugged. "Some kids will eat anything. Ours might enjoy spaghetti and natto."

Mai took a swipe at him with one of her pillows. "Ugh! Not in this dojo. If you can learn to be a human weapon, then I'm sure I can teach you basic kitchen stuff. Now come on, help me up!"

Andy got up, stepped over to Mai's side of the bed, and offered her his hands. After she was on her feet, she grabbed her yukata off her vanity, put in on over her house robe, and then the couple made their way towards the kitchen, each with an arm around the other's waist.

"I love you, Mai," Andy whispered into her hair. "Even when your hormones turn you into a... a um... you know."

Mai giggled. "No, Andy, I don't know. Say it."

"Well, um..."

"Say it, Andy!"

Andy's face turned the reddest hue that Mai had ever seen it go. But after another moment, he said: "Even when your hormones turn you into a... a... bitch."

The ninja girl laughed aloud. "That's very good, Andy. Don't be afraid to say that word when it applies to me, because today I _was _a bitch. A total bitch. And as my husband, one of your responsibilities is to tell me when I _am _a bitch."

"Do I gotta, Mai?" Andy said with a loud sigh.

"Well... you don't have to use the 'B' word. But I still want you to call me on it when I have days like these. Is that a fair compromise?"

"I think I can do that," Andy told her, the color draining from his face.

"Thank you, honey." Mai giggled again and gently nuzzled Andy's shoulder as the two continued on towards the kitchen.

* * *

**Elsewhere in Japan...**

In his private sleeping chamber located in his clan's temple, a figure dressed very plainly in a white tunic and gi pants sat pretzel-legged on his futon, skimming over a newspaper. He had arranged to have the paper discreetly delivered every week from the village of Mino, a small town of roughly 20,000. Small enough to have its own local paper, that usually did not circulate beyond the townspeople in that prefecture.

It was for this reason that Sokaku Mochizuki obtained a copy and perused it every week, searching for a name. For though Mino was a small town, if anything newsworthy were to happen regarding one of its most prominent citizens, it would make their local press. Which was why Sokaku looked to it as a potential source of information for his clan's sworn enemies: the Shiranui.

There was one member of that clan in particular that Sokaku would take great pleasure in someday destroying: that flamboyant little ninja harlot who was Hanzo Shiranui's heiress, and currently master of her family's dojo in Mino. Her and that American outsider that she had willingly given herself to, body and soul. Sokaku remembered the revulsion he'd felt when he learned that Mai had tainted her pure Japanese blood by rutting with that blond hakujin. Then the bile had really been pushed to the back of his throat a few years ago when he'd looked over an edition of Mino's paper, and saw the name "Mai Shiranui-Bogard" among the newlywed announcements.

_How could anyone who comes from a bloodline such as hers... _Even though they were his enemies, Sokaku had always respected the Shiranui for the warriors they had produced down through the centuries. He considered Mai to be an affront to all of that, with her manner of dressing, and her even more unwholesome love of Western culture... it still perplexed him to no end that she could actually be related to a great ninjitsu master like Hanzo.

Sokaku took a deep, calming breath and continued to read. As his eyes fell across one of the announcements, he forced himself to take another calming breath. Then another. And another. It soon became apparent that just breathing was not working, so the mystic flung the newspaper across the room. He forced his eyes shut and concentrated, willing those feelings of revulsion back into the nether regions of his mind. He was _this _close to reaching for a flail to use on himself when he succeeded in regaining control.

Finally, he picked up the paper again, turned back to the offending page, and read: _Mai Shiranui-Bogard, our local ninja celebrity, master of her family's dojo of Shiranui-Ryu ninjitsu, and multi-time competitor in the international King of Fighters tournament, was proud to announce recently that she and her husband, Andrew Bogard, are expecting the birth of their first child later this year..._

Having read enough, Sokaku crumpled the newspaper and tossed it aside again. Once more, he felt his outrage threatening to overtake him, and this time, he rose from the bed, took up his flail from where it hung on the wall, and gave himself a strike across each shoulder with it.

The sting of the barbed leather could be felt even through the fabric of his tunic, and it hurt so good that he was once more able to focus, to think clearly about this situation. And the best way to deal with it.

Sokaku Mochizuki stripped off his tunic and quickly donned a more ceremonial robe, then he took his wide-brimmed rice hat from its rack over by the door to his bedchamber. _I must speak with the elders about this at once_, he thought to himself. _They must be made to realize: that half-blood abomination growing inside the Shiranui girl's womb must not be permitted to ever see the light of day..._

* * *

ADDITIONAL NOTES

So, I might as well address this sooner, rather than later. I'm male, and I don't have kids. So everything I've been learning about what being pregnant does to a woman's body has been through research. I'm trying to write its effects on Mai as accurately as I can, but again, being male and childless, I might get some details wrong, or they might inadvertently come across as very broad stereotypes. So to any women reading, I apologize in advance for that.

So, yeah, I was very excited to introduce the plot in this chapter. It's not just pure fluff anymore. I hope you like where it goes.

Oh, and I grew up in a small town with a population of about twenty-thousand. And we did have a weekly newspaper that was nothing but local town news. Mino's paper is influenced by that.

Until next chapter, feel free to review.


	3. The Semi-Joys of Cooking

All characters are the property of SNK/Playmore. I don't own them, the video games, or the anime.

* * *

_Chapter Three: The Semi-Joys of Cooking_

Sokaku Mochizuki was glad that he was permitted to wear his wide-brimmed hat in the presence of his clan elders, as it masked the look of utter annoyance that he wore. He had shared his news with them over twenty minutes ago, that Mai Shiranui-Bogard was carrying a half-breed in her belly, and still the elders were discussing it, their whispers the only sound that could be heard in the dimly lit council chamber.

As far as Sokaku was concerned, this much discussion was unnecessary. There was only one course of action. The elders were supposed to be... well... older. Frankly, if they couldn't see what that one course of action should be, then the mystic seriously started to question their overall wisdom in how they continued this centuries-old feud against the Shiranui clan.

Finally, after several more minutes dragged by, the elder seated on the center of the wooden bench, a short, balding man with a long, thin moustache that tapered down the sides of his chin, cleared his throat. "We thank you for this useful information, Sokaku-san. But further deliberation is necessary to determine what course of action, if any, we shall take."

"If any?" Sokaku raised his head slightly at the three older men. "I have just informed you that the heiress of our rival clan is pregnant, and that the child is not even pure Japanese, and you say we may not do anything about this?"

"It is a delicate matter," said the elder to the left of the moustached man. "As you know, we are still not strong enough to oppose the Shiranui clan openly."

"And as you further know," said the man seated to the far right, who wore a dark blue mantle over his kimono. "After winning her honor duel five years ago, Mai-san was banned from participating in her clan's political matters, but they still consider her under their protection. Apparently, they decided that it would not do for the master of Hanzo's old dojo to be completely without her clan. That might make them appear weak."

"They _are _weak!" Sokaku snapped. "And we can prove this by slaying the master of their dojo."

"Which would end the life inside of her, as well," said the man with the long moustache. "A life that is both innocent, and completely defenseless. Even against the enemies of our clan, we must never lose our honor. Killing Mai-san's unborn child would both strip us of that, and invoke the wrath of her clan."

"The life inside of her is a half-blood," Sokaku insisted. "The father is an American. This does not make the act of aborting it dishonorable. In time, her clan could be made to see that. You know that they never approved of Mai-san's choice of husband."

"You may be right," the elder in the middle spoke again.

"Or you may be wrong," said the man on his left.

"This is why we must have further time to deliberate," the one on the right spoke again. "You will be informed of our decision, when it is made. In the meantime, you may go." He waved a hand dismissively.

Sokaku made no move to rise to his feet. "You realize that you don't have forever to deliberate? Eventually, the child will be born."

The balding man with the moustache leaned forward slightly, his small dark eyes seeming to pierce the brim of Sokaku's hat. "We are aware of this," he said. "Just as _you _are aware of your own place in the clan. You have done your duty and informed us that the Shiranui girl is with child. Now we will do _our_ duty, and decide what course of action is best for this clan. And we will take however much time is needed."

Sokaku remained on his knees before them. "You may go now," repeated the man on the right, more forcefully this time.

With a loud sigh he did not try to mask, Sokaku rose to his feet, gave a respectful bow, then turned on his heel. He was halfway to the door of the chamber when he heard one of the elders call after him: "I suggest you meditate, Sokaku-san, for the sake of your heart and mind. Your devotion to the cause is admirable. But the cause is _not _our whole lives, nor should it be. You would do well to remember that."

_You would do well to have not forgotten it_, Sokaku thought scornfully as he strode from the chamber. He just hoped they made their decision soon, and it was the logical decision. Otherwise, he might have to take matters into his own hands...

* * *

**Mino, Japan – The Shiranui Dojo – May 20****th****, 2001**

"Okay, Andy, how many cups of rice are we cooking?"

"Um… one?"

"That's right," Mai said with a nod. "So, how much water should go into the rice cooker?"

"Um… I fill it to the third line?"

Mai couldn't help but giggle a little. She and her husband, Andy Bogard, were in the cozy kitchen of their dojo, and Mai was once more trying to talk him through cooking dinner. But even after almost three weeks, Andy was still having problems with the function of the rice-cooker, a device that was supposed to be a uni-tasker. It did only one thing: cooked rice. So it should have been one of the easier tools in the kitchen to master. "No, Andy, to the second line," Mai went on. "Remember that saying I taught you? One is two, two is three… And how much rice vinegar?"

"Ummmm… fifteen milliliters?"

Mai nodded. "Very good. And then once the ingredients are added, you put the lid on, plug it in, and don't touch it again until you hear it go ding!"

Andy's back was to his wife as he added everything to the cooker, so he rolled his eyes and gave a small sigh. After what happened the first time Mai suggested that they team up to make dinner like this, Andy had nearly set the oven on fire. He was hoping that after that incident, Mai would give up on this crazy idea of hers. But she insisted that Andy keep trying.

When it looked like the rice was cooking, Mai sat up slightly in the chair she was resting on, which had a pad for her neck and shoulders, and she said to Andy: "Okay, bring me the bowl of soy glaze."

Like a student presenting a project to the master, Andy picked the bowl up off the counter, walked across the tiled floor to the table Mai was seated at, and held it out to her. The ninja girl dutifully dipped one finger into it and then brought the finger to her mouth.

After a moment, Mai smacked her lips. "Good. Just the right amount of brown sugar this time. Don't forget to add a sprinkle of red pepper flake right before you pour it into the wok. Now, go get the squid from the fridge."

Andy found it on the second shelf, wrapped in white parchment paper.

"Now give it a sniff," Mai instructed.

Andy held his nose over it for a moment. "It doesn't smell like anything."

"That means it's still fresh. When it starts to smell like fish, it's time to throw it away."

"But... it _is_ fish, Mai. Shouldn't fish smell like fish?"

Mai giggled again. "Andy, when we've gone out for sushi, did you ever smell anything fishy in your food?"

"Um... no."

"Exactly. And that meant it was safe to eat. Because good, healthy fish smells like nothing. Bad fish smells like fish. You get it?"

Andy's brow crinkled. "Um... I think so."

Another giggle. "You will get it eventually. Now, put the squid on the counter, and start chopping the broccoli and the carrots. I already minced the garlic for you, so don't worry about that." For a moment, Mai found herself remembering the last time Andy had tried to mince a clove of garlic, how they'd needed to take a cab to the ER so he could get stitches in his finger.

"How small do the broccoli florets have to be?" Mai asked as Andy set to work on the vegetables.

"Bite size," Andy answered her.

"Very good," Mai said with a nod. "See, Andy? We'll make a ninja chef out of you yet!"

After all the vegetables were cut, Mai instructed Andy to set them aside, add some sesame and fish oil to the wok in equal amounts, turn the heat on low, and start preparing the squid.

"Now, Andy, the fishmonger cleaned these for us, so this part is easy. Just take the mantle of the squid..."

"The... mantle?"

"The long, pointy thing above the tentacles. First, cut each squid in half, separating the mantle from the tentacles. Then make a cut lengthwise down the mantle..."

"Aaaah!"

"What's wrong, Andy?" Mai leaned forward slightly in her chair.

"The... the tentacles are stuck to my hand! How can they still stick even after it's dead?" Andy started to do an odd hopping dance across the kitchen floor, trying to shake the squid's suckers loose from his skin. He came very close to using his chef's knife to try and pry them off, but Mai thankfully stopped him.

"Andy, do _NOT _use the knife! Do you want to wind up back in the ER? Run your hand under cold water."

Andy did as instructed, but in trying to use his other hand to pull off the mass of slimy, suckered appendages that clung to him, he wound up flinging the tentacles across the kitchen, where they splattered against a wall.

Mai shook her head and blew out a large sigh. She was starting to feel an ache in her boobs and in the back of her head. "It's okay, just clean that up later. But now we know to hold the squid by the mantle when you cut. So try again."

"You really do sound like your grandfather right now, you know that?" Andy remarked with a laugh.

"I'll take that as a complement," said Mai.

So Andy tried another squid, this time holding it by the mantle, but he did not count on how slippery it would be, so after he made the cut, the mantle shot out of his grip and slid to the kitchen floor.

"Just pick it up and rinse it off," Mai said patiently. Though inside, she was doing her best not to laugh. Right now, Andy reminded her so much of that ten-year-old boy who suffered God knows how many cuts and bruises trying to learn the balance exercises that were crucial for studying all forms of ninjitsu. But still, even back then, the resolve in those blue eyes as Andy always picked himself up and tried again had looked so fierce for one so young. Mai almost thought she saw the same resolve now as Andy rinsed off the squid and placed it carefully back on the cutting board.

"Okay, Andy, now we make a lengthwise cut down the mantle," Mai went on. "Lengthwise is..."

"Um... top to bottom?"

"Very good! Keep getting these right answers, and I might have to reward you later!"

The thought of that seemed to help Andy focus, and soon the other squids were separated and laid open.

"Okay, Andy," said Mai. "Now fold open the mantle like a book, keep cutting it lengthwise into strips, and then cut those strips crosswise into squares. Also, cut the tentacles into bite-size pieces. They don't need to be uniform!"

"Uniform?" Andy asked her.

"All the same size and shape," Mai reminded him with a giggle. "They're gonna cook fast, anyway."

A short time later, the squid was chopped, and Andy had turned the heat up to high on the oiled wok and added the garlic. Shortly after that, everything seemed to fall apart. Andy accidentally added the squid first, even after Mai told him to add the vegetables first since they needed to cook longer. So Andy had tried to remove the squid, which had been made even more slippery by the oil, so Mai told him to stop trying and just add the carrots, broccoli, and edamame pods. A short time after _that_, Andy and Mai were kneeling at a low table in the sitting room adjacent to the kitchen, eating overcooked squid and undercooked vegetables which had been tossed in a soy glaze, over rice that had split (Andy had still somehow managed to overcook that, too).

"I'm sorry Mai," Andy said after choking down another bite. "I don't know how I lost control in there."

Mai took in a deep breath. "It's okay, Andy. I love you for trying."

"Well, maybe I should stop trying," Andy said dejectedly.

Mai forced another few bites down, and then reached over and took Andy's hand in hers. "Andy, you've only been at this for a couple of weeks. Remember when you first came to the dojo back you were nine, and Ojisama made you do those exercises to improve your balance? How many times did you fall off that raft?"

Andy laughed a little. "Enough times that I eventually started to wear swim trunks whenever Hanzo-sensei took me out to practice."

"Exactly. And look at you now. You can balance perfectly, even when someone is distracting you. My point is, cooking is just like martial arts training, or anything else in life. The more you do it, the better you'll get. You just need to learn the right combination of steps to cooking a meal so everything turns out the way it should in the end."

Andy couldn't help but smile at the way his wife used his own philosophy on sex and violence to make her point. "Okay, Mai. I"ll keep trying. But, you don't have to keep eating this failure, if you want. I can get us take-out."

"No, I'm gonna clean my plate, Andy. If anything, it might help the baby develop a strong stomach."

Andy seemed genuinely hurt by that remark, so Mai giggled and gave his hand a loving squeeze. "Andy, I am only _teasing _you. I didn't mean to offend you. I appreciate just how good you've been to me these last few weeks, every time my hormones made me a crazy bitch."

"You don't have to thank me, Mai. We're a team, remember?"

The ninja girl nodded. "Yes, but lately you've been doing most of the work."

"Mai, you're doing enough work. I mean, you're busy creating life."

Mai leaned across the table and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "That's very sweet of you to say, Andy, honey. But, still: I'd like to show my gratitude. Tell you what? After dinner, I wanna take a bath. But when I'm done in there, why don't you come to bed, and I'll spend some time being good to _you_."

Andy raised an eyebrow. "Are you feeling up for that?"

"I wouldn't have offered, if I weren't. My head is just fine right now. So we might as well jump on this chance, since we don't know when the next one will come."

Andy still seemed hesitant. "Well, I... know you said the doctor told you that sex wouldn't hurt the baby. But... I still have this feeling like... I'm gonna crush it if I'm on top of you."

Mai laughed. "Okay, I'll be on top, then, so you don't have to worry. Sound good?"

Andy started to laugh with her. "Okay, Mai. That sounds great. Thank you."

"It's my pleasure, honey," Mai said. "Though I have to warn you that my boobs are off limits. Again."

Andy sighed. "Still too tender?" Giving attention to Mai's chest had always been his favorite form of foreplay (plus he know that Mai loved it, too), so he considered it a huge injustice that although her boobs appeared to be getting bigger, they were hyper-sensitive to the point where Andy was forbidden to touch them.

"Sorry, baby," Mai said with a sad shake of her head.

Andy shrugged and gave her a smile. "Well, a beggar can't be choosy. Besides, you have something else I can squeeze."

"That's the spirit! Always look for the silver lining!" Mai laughed and then resumed eating the mess on her plate, knowing that the sooner she finished, the sooner she could get in the tub.

* * *

**June 6th, 2001**

Mai shivered slightly as the cold gel made contact with her skin. She was lying on her back on an exam table in her OB-GYN's office, with one side elevated for her head, and with Andy standing alongside her. The doctor was seated towards the center of the table, prepping her for her ultrasound. Of course, his job was made easier by the fact that the shirt Mai wore exposed her midriff (as most of her tops did).

Finally, he placed the probe gently over the center of her stomach and started to trace downwards. The ninja girl couldn't help but giggle. "It tickles," she said to the doctor.

The doctor couldn't help but smile. Mai was one of his easiest patients, both on the eyes and with her attitude. "Just tell me if you feel any discomfort, Mrs. Bogard," he said.

Mai said nothing in response to this, her brown eyes instead fixed on the nearby monitor, eagerly waiting for her first glimpse of the life that she carried within her. The probe continued to move slowly down her stomach, almost too slow, and finally when the doctor reached a certain spot, he began to toggle it in all directions. Mai giggled again.

"Sorry if I'm tickling you," the doctor. "I'll try to move it more slowly."

"It's okay," said Mai. "I'm just ticklish. Right, Andy?"

Andy just nodded as he watched the monitor, which still showed nothing but a flat, slate-gray image. Finally, the doctor said: "I think we should be getting something shortly. Yes..." He moved the probe slightly. "There we are."

Both Andy and Mai saw a grainy image slowly come into view on the monitor: it was small, oblong and bean-shaped, but other than that it didn't look like much. Mai, however, seemed entranced by it. "That's our baby, Andy," she said to her husband, and gently squeezed his hand. Andy smiled down at her, then looked back to the monitor.

A moment later, the image faded. The doctor wiggled the probe again, and it leaped back into view. This time it was accompanied by a steady warbling sound, almost like a pulse, but muffled, as if it was underwater.

"That sound you hear is the heartbeat," the doctor explained.

Upon hearing that, Mai could feel tears forming in her eyes. She held Andy's hand up against her cheek and nuzzled it as she watched the monitor. "It's a little miracle!" She said, her voice cracking.

"It seems kind of small," Andy remarked. He wanted to say that it really didn't look like anything except a hazy bean-shaped thing with stumps for arms and legs, but Mai seemed happy, so he kept that to himself.

"It's about the size of a strawberry right now, Mr. Bogard," the doctor explained. "But it will grow. In fact, in the next three weeks, it will grow _a lot_."

Hearing exactly how big it was only brought out Andy's protective side. "Is it healthy?" He asked. Mai's attention was still fixed solely on the monitor, so Andy decided he should probably be asking some questions.

"I'm still running the exam," said the doctor. "I'll let you know soon enough." A short time later, he was happy to report that the fetus seemed to be developing normally, with a heart rate of 170 beats per minute (right where it should be), and no abnormalities that the ultrasound could detect. "Of course, that's just its physical growth," he explained as he wiped Mai's belly off with a towel. "It's still too early to determine anything else. I'd like to see her back in three weeks for another ultrasound."

"Of course," Mai said, sitting up on the exam table. "I can't wait to see it again! God, those three weeks are gonna feel like forever."

The doctor laughed. "If I had a nickel for every time an expecting mom told me that..."

After the appointment had been scheduled, Andy and Mai were outside at a bus stop, waiting for a bus to take them to another part of town. They needed to fill Mai's vitamin prescription, as well as pick up the ingredients for the dinner Andy was going to try and cook tonight.

The ninja girl sighed happily, gazing at the glossy photograph from her ultrasound that the doctor had given her. What she had seen at her appointment today had made all the previous weeks of misery and throwing up totally worth it. "This is going in the pregnancy scrapbook," Mai told her husband. "It's so magical, isn't it, Andy?" She sighed again, then carefully placed the photo back into her purse.

Andy was still reluctant to tell her what he thought of the ultrasound image, so instead he asked her: "Are you sure you trust that doctor? He seemed a little too friendly."

Mai, who had been resting her head against Andy while they waited for the bus, sat up suddenly. "What kind of question is that? Of course I trust him! He's been my gynecologist since puberty hit me. He was the doctor for my mom's pregnancy! He's always been strictly professional, and has never once gotten grabby. You know I wouldn't stand for that sort of thing. Now tell me the truth: what's really bothering you?"

"I'm sorry, Mai," Andy said sheepishly, his cheeks flushing just a bit. "It's just... I don't really think that picture looks like anything. And I feel like it _should_ be magical for me, too, since I'm the baby's father, but... I just don't get the same sense of awe from it that you do."

Mai shook her head. "Andy, next time, just say that. I'm not expecting you to see everything about this the same way that I do. Honestly, I would have been surprised if you reacted to this ultrasound the way that I did. Because that's just not who you are. I mean, my perspective is different because I'm the one who's actually carrying this kid. But even if you don't always show the same enthusiasm as me, I know that deep inside, you love this child, and that you'll approach being a father with the same level of dedication and passion that you've always put towards any other goal you set your mind to."

Even though they were in public, Andy risked giving his wife a gentle hug. "I love you," he whispered into her hair.

"I love you too, baby," Mai whispered back. "Even when you accuse my family doctor of being a perv."

"Well, I'm only half-convinced..." Andy started to say with a hint of sarcasm.

"Oh, no, you don't," Mai said, bringing a finger to his lips. "No sarcasm. I don't need you turning me on at the bus stop. Save it for when we're home." The two of them waited silently for a while, and as the bus began to get near, Mai said: "Andy, while we're at the store, can we get some wasabi Kit-Kat bars? For the last few days, I have had an urge to eat as many of them as I can."

Andy raised an eyebrow. Mai had never been big into Kit-Kats, even though there was a greater variety in Japan than Andy had ever thought possible. Back before his adoption, when he and Terry had been living on South Town's streets, Andy had only ever seen one flavor, and he thought that was the only favor anyone needed. "Sure, Mai," he said.

"And can we get some hachinoko, too?" Mai added. "Like, maybe half a dozen bags?"

Andy nearly fell off the bench at hearing that. "_WHAT?" _

Mai giggled at her husband's reaction. "What can I say? I just... want some. Guess I'm finally getting 'pregnancy cravings.' Exciting, isn't it?"

Andy wiped some sweat from his brow. "I guess," he said. Then the sound of his wife's laughter made him start laughing, as well. Just when he thought this trip they were on couldn't get any more interesting, it seemed there were still plenty of surprises ahead...

* * *

ADDITIONAL NOTES

So, some of you might have already known this, but Kit-Kats are HUGE in Japan. I actually understated it in this fic. They have tons of flavors over there, and yes, one of them is wasabi.

And... hachinoko is deep-fried bee larvae, another snack that exists in Japan, usually tossed in soy sauce and sugar. From what I've read, it's like Japanese bar food, but I don't think it's a stretch that they might also be found in bag form, the way chips are here. Hey, Mai is pregnant and hungry. Don't judge!

And one could argue that I might have put the cooking and the ultrasound into separate chapters, but I didn't what this chapter to be too short. Besides, the next one will feature more plot, and bring a new player into the game. Until next time...


	4. The Plot Thickens

All characters are the property of SNK/Playmore. I don't own them, the video games, or the anime

* * *

_Chapter Four: The Plot Thickens_

**June 8th, 2001**

"Are you ready to hear our decision, Sokaku-san?"

Sokaku Mochizuki smiled underneath the brim of his hat as he faced his elders in the council chamber. He was wearing his finest blue and white ceremonial gi, which he had selected upon hearing that he had been summoned to their presence. Frankly, he did not know why it had taken them so long. Lately, the mystic had been starting to grow restless, but that didn't matter now. The elders had finally seen the wisdom in aborting Mai's pregnancy.

"I am, Akihiro-sama," Sokaku addressed the elder in the center of the bench, trying and failing to keep the pride out of his tone. "When shall I carry out the assassination?"

"There is to be no assassination," said the one called Akihiro, the balding man with the moustache. "Mai-san will live long enough to have her baby, at the very least. Someday, we will deal with them, but not today."

"So, we will do nothing?" How he managed to keep his voice level as he spoke to his elder was perhaps one of Sokaku's greatest accomplishments in life.

"Unlike the Shiranui, we have not forgotten our honor," spoke the man on Akihiro's right. "So we will not permit you to take a life while it is still in the womb. The child is helpless and innocent. There is no honor in slaying such an opponent."

"And as we have stated before, there will be retaliation," said the third man, to Akihiro's left. "Retaliation we are unprepared for."

"There are plenty of ways to kill someone that cannot be traced," Sokaku argued. "Blowfish poison, for example. We simply make our way unseen into the dojo and slip some into Mai-san's tea."

"They cannot be traced by police, you mean," Akihiro said. "We know perfectly well that ninja have many ways of finding things out that are not condoned by legal channels. No matter how careful we are, eventually this will be traced back to us. The Shiranui elders would not rest until they know the truth."

"But they do not even consider Mai-san one of them!"

"Nonetheless, she is still master of their dojo," said the one on the right. "For them to do nothing in the face of her murder would be a sign of weakness. They will find us. And we may not be strong enough to withstand their vengeance."

"That child is an abomination!" Sokaku yelled at them, a few flecks of spittle flying from his mouth. "It is not even pure blood! Mai-san has tainted our very culture by rutting with that American. Surely, in time, her elders could be made to realize that!"

Akihiro raised a hand. "Perhaps. But that is not for us to decide by forcing their hand. We have made our decision. Now all those of Mochizuki blood must abide by it."

"I wonder, Sokaku-san," spoke the elder on Akihiro's left. "Ever since you fought Mai-san at that tournament, and failed to end her then, you seem to have made it a personal mission of yours to defeat her. Your obsession with this girl, in particular your dislike of her choosing to wed an American, would not have anything to do with a physical infatuation on your part, would it?"

Sokaku's dark eyes narrowed into slits. "I know my place," he said through clenched teeth. "I am immune to the temptations of the flesh, no matter how enticing. My desire to end Mai-san's life is simply to atone for my failure the first time."

"You are certain?" Akihiro asked him. "There is no shame in recognizing and admitting your weaknesses. That is the only way we can overcome them."

"I am certain," Sokaku answered, still with an edge to his voice. "As... attractive as she may be, Mai-san means nothing to me. Other than the key to my redemption."

The three elders scrutinized him for a very long time. Then the one on the right cleared his throat. "As you say. But your redemption will have to wait for another day. We have made our decision, and if you defy us, you will lose our protection. We will banish you from our ranks, and leave you to the mercy of the Shiranui clan."

"Then it seems my choice is clear," said Sokaku. "I respect that you have made your decision." He gave them a bow, and remained with his head down until the three elders rose and bowed back. Sokaku then turned sharply on his heel and left the chamber.

_I respect that you have _made _a decision, _he thought to himself as he walked briskly down the Spartan-looking corridors of the temple. _But I do not respect the decision itself. And my choice _is _clear. I must become an outcast, lose the protection of my clan, and risk death at the hands of the Shiranui elders to do what is necessary, and cleanse this great country of my enemy, her hakujin husband, and the abomination in her womb._

Unfortunately, the thought of killing his enemy only reminded him of their battle at the King of Fighters Tournament six years prior. He remembered chastising Mai for her shameless display of flesh, but at the same time, he also remembered just how perfect said flesh was. He remembered the way she moved, the glimpses of her toned thighs and buttocks when she executed her Ryu En Bou attack, the way her breasts seemed to defy all logic with their mix of perkiness and bounce.

He attempted to banish these thoughts from his head, but it was as futile as trying to banish his disgust when he learned that Mai was pregnant with the child of an American. He reached his rooms, quickly opened the heavy door, and entered, slamming it shut behind him.

_I had trained my whole life for fighting the Shiranui. I thought I was ready for anything. But I was not ready for Hanzo to have a granddaughter that looked like... that. _Sokaku Mochizuki quickly cast off his robes, stripping down to his fundoshi, and reached for the flail that hung on his wall.

"May the maker help me to purge this weakness," he thought as he set to work on himself.

* * *

**June 23rd, 2001**

Mai Shiranui-Bogard was in her bedroom, standing in front of the full-length mirror on her closet door, both hands behind her back as she fastened the clasp on a lacy red brassiere. Once she had finished, her arms dropped to her sides, and she gave a sigh of disdain at her reflection.

Mai had never enjoyed wearing bras, and could count on one hand the number of times she'd worn one after she had turned eighteen. She'd always found them too confining, and besides, they were unnecessary. Her generous breasts might be bouncy, but despite this they never seemed to have a problem standing up by themselves.

But recently, bras had become a necessity. She remembered what had happened earlier in the week, when she had been out shopping. She was going about her day, browsing through baby clothes in the local department store, when she'd suddenly felt a warm dampness spreading slowly across the front of her dress. She'd had the misfortune to be wearing a pastel color, so when she looked down, she saw two dark stains in the fabric covering her ample bosom, growing until they overlapped and the entire upper front part of the dress was soaked.

Mai had nothing to cover herself with, so she'd raced into one of the unoccupied fitting rooms and called for help until an employee overheard her. Unfortunately, he'd been male, and so Mai asked to speak to a woman, though she'd refused to tell the man why. Eventually, a female employee came, stood outside the fitting room, and heard Mai's story.

Mai asked her to call the dojo, hoping that Andy could come to the store with a change of clothes for her, but after several attempts the employee got no answer. An hour went by, and they had been unable to reach Andy, so Mai wound up having to buy a dress from the store (along with several bras), and then took a cab straight home.

Andy was nowhere to be found when she'd entered the dojo. It turned out he'd been training in the woods, and came home later that afternoon to a wrathful wife. Mai could not remember the last time she'd screamed at Andy that loudly (but it was probably when he had lied to her, during the mess with Geese Howard six years ago). Deep down, she knew it hadn't been his fault, but it had been hard to think rationally, what with the embarrassment she had felt, augmented by her hormones.

Andy, Gods bless him, had tried to apologize the next day, and said that from now on, he would be training in the dojo until the baby was born. "I mean, your chest _has_ been getting bigger lately, Mai," Andy had told her. "I should have known this was the reason, and so I should have been ready for something like this to happen. I don't want to let you down like that again."

"Andy, you have nothing to be sorry for," Mai replied. "I'm the one who owes _you _an apology. I overreacted to something that clearly wasn't your fault. I mean, we've both read about lactating, but I wasn't expecting it to start so early. So there's no way you could have or should have been expecting it."

Now, Mai gave another sigh as she tucked a pad into each of the cups on her bra. Her doctor had assured her that while it _was _uncommon for a pregnant woman to start making milk so early, it was not unheard of, so there was nothing abnormal about it. In the meantime, there was little Mai could do except look to the hated bra as her best line of defense, in case she should spring another leak.

She took a moment to adjust the garment, then turned away from the mirror and moved to her dresser. She pulled out a tattered pair of cutoff jeans and an old white T-shirt and slipped them on. She then moved to her vanity and pulled her hair up into a tight bun, fixing it in place with a pair of chopsticks.

As soon as she finished this, Mai heard a voice call from the foyer: "Tadaima!"

Mai stepped out of her bedroom, sliding her door shut as she did. "Come in, master!" She called, and then began to walk down the hallway to meet him.

As she rounded the corner, she saw the diminutive figure of Jubei Yamada walking towards her. Mai bowed her head when she saw him. "You're looking well, master," she remarked.

"So are you, as always, Mai," Jubei answered with a bow of his own.

"I'm afraid that Andy hasn't gotten back from buying the paint," Mai told him. "While we're waiting, can I offer you something to eat or drink?"

"Why, yes," the old judo master answered. "It would be nice to catch up with you." His eyes then fell upon the swell of Mai's bosom, which strained against both the fabric of her bra and her shirt. "My, you've gotten so _big _lately!" Moving much more quickly than one would expect from a man his age, Jubei started to close the distance between him and Mai, his arms outstretched.

This time, Mai was faster. Before he could even get his hands around her breasts, Mai's fan was out and swinging upwards. It slammed into his jaw, and Jubei fell backwards to the floor, his body twitching slightly.

"Watch yourself, you old pervert!" Mai snarled, shaking her fan menacingly at his prone form. "Just because I haven't been able to train lately doesn't mean I've lost my edge. _And _I have hormones to deal with, so I suggest you tread _very _carefully!"

After a moment, Jubei slowly got to his feet, rubbing his aching jaw. "As spirited as ever, I see," he said. "Well... may I at least listen to the baby's heartbeat?"

Mai's expression softened a little, and she shook her head. "It's still too early for that, master. Come back during the second trimester, you should be able to hear it then. I'm expecting Andy home soon. Let's wait for him in the kitchen."

Mai then led her old master to the kitchen and poured tea for them both. As they were sitting at the table drinking it, Jubei remarked: "I can remember when you were only this big." He held his arms out in front of them, hands close together for emphasis. "Hanzo could hold you comfortably in one arm. And now... you're going to be a mommy. Will you stop making me feel old?"

"Um, you _are _old," Mai said with a giggle. "But I can see what you mean. There was a time in mine and Andy's relationship when _I _never thought I'd be a mother. I had this fear that Andy would take so long to figure out his feelings, my clock would run out and I'd be forced to adopt. But... sometimes life surprises you."

Jubei gave a small shrug. "Well, whatever it was that made him get his head out of his ass, I'm glad it worked."

Mai went silent then, for a moment, not sure of what to say. She had never told her master that the main thing that inspired Andy to want to start really exploring his feelings was the death of their friend, Sulia Gaudeamus, and she was pretty sure Andy had never told him, either.

Jubei sensed that something was making Mai uncomfortable, so he changed the subject. "How is Andy holding up?"

Mai gave a small smile. "Well enough, I think. He's taking my mood swings in stride, but one time I did catch him throwing up from anxiety. I think a part of him is worried that he won't be a good father. I know how much he loved his own dad, so maybe he feels like he has some big shoes to fill. I've told him that all he has to do is ask himself what Jeff Bogard would do, and he'll be fine."

Jubei nodded, and sipped his tea. "Last year, when I came down for a week to guest lecture for your classes and give them some pointers on combining judo and ninjitsu, I got a chance to see Andy teach. He was very relaxed around the younger kohai, and he was great at breaking up arguments between them. You've both become fine sensei, so I see no reason to think that you wouldn't be just as good with your own children. If Hanzo were here, he'd be proud of the job you're doing."

Mai smiled, and gave her grandfather's old friend a pat on the hand. "Thank you, master."

It was then that they heard the front door sliding open, and Andy calling out that he was back. Both Mai and her old master got up from the table and started walking to meet him. As they were leaving the kitchen, Jubei attempted to cop a feel off Mai's rear end, but once again the ninja girl was too quick, slapping his wrist sharply with her fan before he could connect.

"Are you trying to break my hand?" Jubei asked her as he rubbed the welt forming on his skin. "How am I supposed to help you paint the nursery if you do that?"

"You'll still have the other hand," Mai answered, tucking her fan back inside her bra strap.

They met Mai's husband in the foyer, carrying a can of paint in each hand. Andy put the cans down and bowed to his old master. "Thank you for coming, sensei," he said. "Having two people working will definitely make it easier."

"Three people, you mean," Mai corrected him.

It was then that Andy noticed Mai was wearing work clothes, so he told her: "Um... Mai, I don't think you should exert yourself."

"I won't be," Mai said. "As long as I don't lift anything heavy or try to reach too much, I'll be fine."

"Well, did your doctor say..."

"No he didn't," Mai cut her husband off. "But I don't need him to." Mai pointed down at her bare stomach, in particular the small bulge that had formed over her otherwise toned abs. "This is not a baby bump you're looking at. Well, some of it is, but most of it is fat. For the past several weeks, I've just been laying around, eating too much junk food because of my cravings. I know that my doctor said a little weight gain during pregnancy is healthy, but now that the morning sickness seems to have passed, I want to get a bit more active. It'll be good for the baby, too."

Jubei remained silent, as he looked upon this as a matter between two married people, but the look he gave his student told Andy that the younger man would be wise to relent. So in the end, Andy rolled his eyes. "I'm not gonna win, am I?"

"Damn right," Mai said with a laugh. "Now come on! Let's get started."

The three of them spent the rest of the day turning Andy's old room into a nursery. Andy and Jubei moved the furniture that was still left into a storeroom, and then they painted the walls a soothing sunshine yellow color (they were not going with blue or pink, since Mai and Andy had decided that they did not want to know the baby's gender before it was born). Andy and his old sensei both used rollers, while Mai mostly worked on her knees, painting the bottom halves of the walls. When the paint dried, Mai planned on stenciling in some clouds, sunflowers and cherry blossoms, but for now they needed to get the main coat on.

Since there were three of them working, it did not take long. By the time it was early evening, they stood in the center of the room, looking at the pleasant pastel color that now replaced the old off-white of the walls. Mai was already mapping out what they needed, and where it should go.

"Bookcase will go there," she said to herself, pointing. "Rocking chair next to it, changing table will go here, crib will probably go there. I should check one of the storerooms and sheds outside, to see if my parents saved my old crib."

"You sure you don't want a new one?" Andy asked her.

Mai shook her head. "I think it would be cute if the baby could use the same crib its mommy once used. If we still have it. Don't worry, we'll be sure to scrub it down real good first. It'll be well-sanitized before we bring it inside."

"This yellow is hurting my eyes," Jubei remarked. "You're both sure you don't want to know what you're having before it arrives?"

"No, I think the surprise would be nicer," said Mai. "Plus, I didn't want to wait on getting the nursery painted. I wanted to knock that out before I got too big."

"You know, I'm surprised that you didn't want to know the gender, Mai," Andy said jokingly. "You keep saying it's a new millenium."

"Just be glad we agreed on not knowing it, Andy, honey," Mai said sweetly. "So, now that we have the nursery painted: who's hungry?" It turned out they all were. So Mai gave Andy her best puppy-dog-eyed stare. "An-deeeee... my sweet, darling husband who I love more than life itself... can we order sushi tonight?"

"_Again_?" Andy asked her incredulously. "Mai, this is the fourth time this week!"

"What can I say? I just... would kill for some unagi sashimi. Like, a whole plate of it! Maybe two."

Andy sighed. Before Mai got pregnant, he didn't think she had liked freshwater eel. Now she couldn't seem to stop eating it.

"I'll never say no to sushi!" Jubei offered his two cents.

Andy could see he was outnumbered. Plus the sweet look Mai gave him was impossible for him to resist. "Okay, Mai, we'll order sushi for dinner. Again."

"Yay!" Mai kissed her husband on the cheek. The three of them then left the nursery and started walking in the direction of the kitchen.

"I could go for some sake after that all hard work," Jubei said. "Is anyone else with me?"

"Why are you even asking?" Mai told him. "Obviously, I'm _not _with you!"

"Oh, I'm sure just one cup wouldn't hurt the little tyke," the old master said with a chuckle. "If anything, it'll put hair on its chest!"

"Do you want to get smacked again?" Mai was already reaching down the collar of her shirt for her fan. "Because the next time you even suggest that my baby needs hair on its chest, I will unleash hell on you!"

Jubei looked towards Andy, but the blond man gave a shrug. "You're on your own, sensei." In the end, the old judo master simply started laughing, which eventually caused both his students to laugh, as well.

* * *

**Tokyo, Japan – July 1st, 2001**

"Nice outfit," the man seated across from Sokaku Mochizuki said with a tooth-filled smirk. "Really makes you blend in here."

Sokaku was in a nightclub that he heard was frequented by the Yakuza, or by people who knew them, and compared to the other patrons, he definitely stood out in his blue and white dogi, and wide-brimmed rice hat that concealed the top half of his face. However, that did not concern him. All he cared about now was employing the man on the other side of the small, round table.

"You are a difficult man to find," Sokaku told him. "It has taken me more than a few weeks."

The person he was speaking to, a muscular man with short, spiky hair in blond tips, dressed in black trousers and a black V-neck T-shirt, laughed and took a sip from his whiskey and water. "Well, duh! You think a guy like me would _want _to be in the phone book? You mystics really need to get out more."

"I did not come to you for advice, Yamazaki-san," Sokaku growled. "I came because I have need of your services."

"Well, why didn't you say so?" Ryuji Yamazaki said with a laugh. He then pulled a keycard from his pocket, and held it out to the woman sitting at his left, a petite Japanese girl dressed in a miniskirt, lycra tube-top, and with a blond wig on over her real, ebony tresses. "My friend and I gotta talk business, babe," he said. "Go up to the room and make yourself comfortable. I'll be up in about an hour."

"Sure, baby," the woman purred as she accepted the card, gulped the rest of her drink, and rose from the table.

Once they were alone, Yamazaki raised his own drink at the white-clad monk. "Can I get you something?"

"I don't drink," Sokaku replied.

"That's too bad. Makes it harder for me to take you seriously."

"We're wasting time," Sokaku growled. "Do you _want _to discuss business or not?"

"Who said I don't?" Yamazaki asked him. "I always want to discuss business. Hell, I'm even curious. The last time we worked together was six years ago, when we helped Billy Kane at the King of Fighters tournament. Since then, I'd actually forgotten you existed, and then you go to all this trouble to find me. Seems like you have an important job you want done. So... let's discuss."

Sokaku took in a deep breath, and then sipped his water. "It _is _important. When we fought together six years ago, I learned not only of your... colorful fighting style, but also of your connections to the Yakuza. I need both of these for the task I am trying to accomplish."

"So nice of you to remember me," Yamazaki said with a nod. "Makes me feel even worse that I didn't remember _you_. Well, not really. But anyway... what's the job?"

"There is someone I want killed."

Yamazaki didn't flinch at hearing that. "Ah, you came to the right guy, then. That's old hat for me. Who's the target?"

"Two people you are familiar with: Mai Shiranui-Bogard. And her husband."

The blond man had been in the process of sipping his drink, and almost did a spit-take. In the end he sputtered, dribbling a small amount of the liquor onto his shirt collar. "You're joking, right? You wanna go after _the _number one kunoichi in Japan? She's a KoF celebrity, my friend! You realize that if we kill her, every straight guy on the planet, age thirteen to a hundred, is gonna want our heads? Not to mention her friends, and she's got powerful friends. Her old teammates, for one. The name Chizuru Kagura ring any bells?"

"Yes, one of the sacred treasure keepers," Sokaku said patiently. "I am aware of her, and her power. As I am aware of the powers of all of Mai-san's good friends: King, Sakazaki-Yuri, the detective known as Blue Mary. If we do this job right, I do not think they can trace it back to us. But it is a risk I am willing to take. If you will also take that risk, I am prepared to make it worth your while."

For a long moment, the smile faded from Ryuji Yamazaki's features. He sat back in his chair, fingers steepled in front of his face. Then he leaned forward again and laughed aloud, baring his canines as he did. He grabbed his drink, took another sip that drained the glass, and then motioned to a nearby waiter for another. "You're crazier than me, Sokaku. I respect that. So I'm in. But if memory serves, you've hated Mai and her clan for years. Any reason you wanna go after her now?"

"She is pregnant with Andy Bogard's child."

"Really? Well, it's about time Andy knocked her up!" Yakazaki gave a high-pitched laugh, reached into his pocket. "This calls for a celebration! I think I have a cigar in here somewhere."

"This is not cause for celebration!" Sokaku fumed impatiently.

"Um... it's not?"

"That child is a half-blood abomination," Sokaku said with disgust. "And the reason I want Mai-san killed! We must not allow her baby to be born!"

Yamazaki's smile wavered again. Then he shrugged and gave another laugh. "This is why I _love _working with zealots. You people are just so much fun! Of course, now we have to talk serious-ish for a few seconds. You realize that these are very high-profile targets we're going after. There could be severe consequences. If the risk goes up, so does my price."

Sokaku nodded. "I am prepared to pay. How much?"

Yamazaki named a figure. He'd been expecting Sokaku to try and haggle, but the mystic simply gave another nod. "That is acceptable."

"And I'll need half in advance."

"Also not a problem."

"Man, you're making this way too easy for me." Yamazaki laughed again. "I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"Do you think you can also use your relationship with the Yakuza to hire us some extra muscle?" Sokaku asked him.

By this time, the waiter had brought another whiskey. Yamazaki picked it up and took a small sip. "I can arrange that. But why do we need them? I know enough about these old school rival clans to know that they don't like to involve the mob in their business, and the mob doesn't like to _get _involved. Wouldn't we be getting help from your own clansmen?"

"My clan elders have given orders that the Shiranui girl is not to be harmed while she is with child," Sokaku explained. "I am acting without their approval, and must find other resources."

For a split-second, the sadistic smile wavered again. "I see."

Sokaku Mochizuki raised an eyebrow under his hat. "Is there a problem?"

Just like that, the wolfish grin was back. "No, no problem." Yamazaki gave a shrug. "If anything, it'll make my job easier. And even _more_ fun." He raised his glass to the man at the other end of the table. "Here's to a beautiful business relationship!" It took him a moment to remember that Sokaku was not holding a drink. He laughed and took another sip from the glass. "Oh, yeah, I forgot that you're boring. Well, mind if I put this drink on your tab?"

"I would mind," Sokaku said simply.

"You don't? Aw, thanks, you're a real pal!" Ryuji Yamazaki laughed and set his drink back down. "Okay, now let's discuss some more details before I go upstairs. Can't keep my entertainment waiting forever."

"Very well, then," Sokaku said with a nod, secretly hoping that he didn't live to regret this decision.

* * *

ADDITIONAL NOTES

So, all the research I've been doing says that lactation can happen at any time during the baby's development. It's rare during the first trimester, but not unheard of. And if Rex is reading this, sorry if that grossed you out, and by sorry, I mean not sorry. As Jojo pointed out, this is reality, my friend. Well, reality within fanfic. Or something like that. ( ;

Also, I've read that pregnant women shouldn't eat raw fish. But Mai was ordering unagi, one of the few things on a sushi/sashimi menu that is cooked.

Not sure what's next. Well, I _know_ what's next, but I can't decide if there will be another chapter devoted solely to fluff before the plot part goes into overdrive, or if I'll do more fluff/plot mix. Guess you'll just have to wait and see! Thanks for reading! As always, feedback is welcome, and will cause a warm tingling in the small section of my brain that is part reptilian. So please review, and satisfy my lizard-brain parts.


	5. A Week in South Town

So, to get a better idea of what's going on in this chapter, you should read my one shot "No Touching." There's nudity and sex in it! If Guest is reading, I hope that answers your question.

"Barbie Girl" is written by Aqua, and is copyright of Universal Records. I'm posting this fic for free, and make no money off of it.

All characters are the property of SNK/Playmore. I don't own them, the video games, or the anime.

* * *

_Chapter Five: A Week in South Town_

**South Town – July 14th, 2001**

"That was a beautiful wedding," Mai said to her husband as two of them sat on the living room couch of Terry Bogard and Mary Ryan's apartment. Terry and Mary had tied the knot at City Hall earlier that day, after which Richard Meyer and Bob Wilson had invited the newlyweds and wedding guests back to their place for an impromptu reception. Now it was late evening, and Mai and Andy were relaxing after the long day. Andy was seated at one end of the sofa while Mai was on the center cushion, resting her head against him.

Andy turned and gazed down at his wife, in particular the small hump on her belly that tugged against the fabric of her dress. It had first appeared a few weeks ago, and was starting to get more prominent. He reached down and gave Mai a loving pat on her stomach. Mai gave a sigh of contentment and placed her hand over Andy's. They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Mai added: "I do think our wedding looked a lot nicer, though. It was more classy."

Andy shrugged. "Considering who the bride and groom were, I think the ceremony today suited them perfectly. I can't imagine my brother in a tux. I still have trouble believing it even when I see pictures from our own wedding. I also can't imagine Mary in a dress, even though Terry swears she _has _worn them."

In the end, Mai gave him a resigned smile. "I guess you're right. But it's still so nice that they went ahead and made it official, after all these years. I remember when we got the call last month."

"Me too," said Andy. "After they convinced you that they weren't pranking you, you squealed so loud I could hear it outside in the courtyard. I ran inside as fast as I could because I thought something was wrong with the baby."

"Hey, I was happy that they finally took this step. And now we get some parenting practice with their dog while the two of them are off on their honeymoon."

Andy rolled his eyes. He and Mai were staying at Terry and Mary's apartment for the week, until the newlyweds got back from Thailand, in order to babysit Mary's dog, Anton. So far, though, Andy was off to a shaky start. "_You_ get practice, you mean. I don't think that dog likes me."

Mai giggled. "Well, you _did _poke him in the eye not long ago."

"By accident. I was trying to get the ball from his mouth."

"Um, why were you trying to take his ball?"

"Because I thought he wanted me to throw it."

"Andy, if he wants you to throw it, he'll drop it."

"So, then, why carry it over to me?"

"So you could praise him, of course, on how good he was for catching it." The way Mai said it, it seemed to Andy that she was acting like he should have known that already.

Andy sighed loudly. "This is why I don't like dogs. I mean, there were times early on in our relationship when I had trouble understanding _you_, but at least you could talk, so I could get a clear idea of what you wanted, even though it usually made me uncomfortable."

Mai sat up, then, raised an eyebrow at her husband. "Are you comparing me to a dog, Andy?"

Andy felt the color immediately rush to his face. "No, no, I didn't mean it like that. I was just saying that... I mean... humans can talk, dogs can't. And that's why..."

Mai cut him off with a quick smooch on the lips. "I know what you meant, honey. I was only messing with you."

"I still can't believe I fall for that," Andy said with a laugh.

"I'm glad you do," Mai said, flashing him a wicked grin. "But you know, Andy, babies can't talk, either. At least, not at first."

"Well, yeah, but I'm sure they're still easier to figure out than a dog. If a baby cries, it either wants food, a pacifier, or a clean diaper. There's no telling what Anton wants, if the ball incident is any indication."

Mai laughed. "Oh, Andy... I think we need to check out more books. You still have a lot to learn."

For a long while, they sat there, watching but not really watching the TV. Then Andy asked his wife: "Mai, I'm curious... how _did_ you get Mary to agree to wear that veil today?"

Mai sat up a little on the couch, though she looked away from her husband for a moment. "Oh, um, well, I... kinda blackmailed her."

Andy's brow raised. "What?"

"Well, you remember how Yuri, King and I took Mary out two days ago?"

"Yeah."

"Well, let me start by saying that if I'm ever a Maid of Honor again, I hope I get to do a more traditional bachelorette party."

"I think you planned a good one," said Andy. "You took her to a motorbike race, right?"

Mai nodded. "And I was reminded of why I hate those things. They're so loud, and smelly. After that, we went to a shooting range, and I thought _motorcycles _were loud. Anyway, I took the girls to a distillery tour after that, so they could sample some flavored whiskeys. Then we finished the day at La Illusion, where King had her staff prepare a five course dinner for us."

Andy smiled at her. "I remember that Terry and I were hanging out at Takuma's dojo with Ryo and Robert when you showed up with Mary and Yuri. I think that's the drunkest I've ever seen them both."

Mai giggled. "I know, right? As the only one not drinking, I felt it was my duty to chronicle the day's events. And I recorded this little gem shortly after the dessert course was served." Mai reached over and picked their camcorder up off the coffee table, which the couple had bought shortly before their trip over to America. She opened the screen on it, put it in playback mode, and rewound to a certain part.

When she pressed play, Andy saw a video of Mary standing by the jukebox at King's bar. The detective's jacket was off, and her cheeks were quite red. Mary had also removed her oversized brown belt, and was swinging it above her head, as she sang loudly along with the music being played: "_I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie woooooorld..."_

For a long moment, Andy just stared incredulously. Then he asked: "Is... is this real?"

Mai giggled some more. "I was there, and sober, so I can assure you it is."

On the video, King's voice could be heard off camera: "Should we be recording this, Mai?"

"Ab-sho-LUTE-Ly!" Yuri's voice, heavily slurred by intoxication, could then be heard. "We need to record thish for posh... poshteri... poshteritizing? Ya know, the reason people record schtuff!"

"Posterity?" Mai's voice. The image then zoomed in on Mary continuing to dance to a song that many might consider the opposite of feminist.

"I know _you_ are, but what am I?" Yuri again.

The detective then sang loudly: "_Make me walk, make me talk, do whatever you please. I can act like a star, I can beg on my knees..."_

"You realize Mary will kill us when she sobers up and sees this video, right?" King's voice.

"Well, she won't kill _me_." Mai was speaking now. "Not when I have a baby on board."

"That's all well and good for you, Mai." King now, sounding annoyed. "But what the hell do _we_ do?"

Yuri: "Oh, my god, King. I have a plan: Mary can't kill Mai cush she's preggersh. Sho you and I need to get preggersh, too!"

King: "Yuri, that doesn't make any goddamn sense."

Mai was laughing hysterically now, as Yuri spoke: "Shure it doesh. We jusht go find an all-night plashe that can take our birsh control devishes out of our vajayjays, and we'll be good ta go!"

King: "Where do you suggest we find that?"

Yuri: "Well, tattoo parlorsh are open all night. And they have needlesh. Sho they're practically doctorsh!"

King: "That makes even less goddamn sense!"

Yuri: "And I jusht got another plan: we should all get tattoosh! On our buttsh!"

The image of Mary dancing and singing was shaking violently now, as Mai was laughing so hard she couldn't keep the camera steady. Mary then took that moment to come over and mug for the camcorder. "Hiiiiiii, Terry! I'm druuuuuunk!" She shouted, her face filling the screen. Then she said to her friends: "Thish shong is the besht, girls! I wan' it played at my funeral! Come on, Terry, letsh go party!" Mary then grabbed the underside of her red crop top, pulled it off, and flung it across the bar. Now only her dark blue bra prevented Mary from flashing everyone else in the joint. "Who hash a dollar? I wanna hear that shong again." The detective then turned and started back towards the jukebox.

King's voice then said: "Mai, as the most sober person here, you should be stopping this!"

"Yeah, I should be," answered Mai's voice. "But why?"

The song started playing again, and Mary was now reaching behind her back to unclasp her bra. "Hey, everyone. Watch me do my Barbie imprrreshun!"

Mai's conscience finally got the best of her. There was a blur, and then suddenly Andy was treated to a view of the wall as Mai had set the camcorder down. Footsteps could then be heard, as well as voices, as both Mai and King tried to persuade Mary to leave her bra on, and also to sit back down.

The last thing Andy heard was Yuri saying" "You're shuch a shpoilshport, Kingy!" Then Mai shut the camcorder off. She looked over at Andy, who was trying to hold in his laughter. "So, the next day, Mary and Yuri both saw this video and asked me to erase it," the ninja girl explained to her husband. "I told them I would, if Mary wore the veil that I bought her. Oh, that reminds me: we need to tape over this while we're here. And also, you never saw it!"

Andy finally laughed aloud. "Well, you know I can keep secrets. So, what shall we tape over it?"

"I got a great idea!" Mai rewound the tape a little, then turned the camcorder towards herself and hit RECORD.

"Hi, everyone!" She spoke at the camera. "Mary, if you're watching this, I'm taping it over that... other thing. Anway, I'm here in South Town with my handsome husband..." Mai turned the lens of the camcorder to Andy, who gave a small wave to it.

"Um... hi," he said softly.

Mai giggled and turned the camera back on herself. "My brother-in-law finally got married to his soul mate today. So Andy and I are watching their baby boy while they're off on their honeymoon." Mai turned the camera back around and called: "Here, Anton!"

A soft padding could then be heard, accompanying by the jangling of a metal tag. Soon the big, friendly dog was in the living room, his tail wagging at the sight of Andy and Mai. He trotted over to Andy's place on the sofa, then turned and sat down, plunking his rump right on top of Andy's foot.

"Um, you're on my foot, Anton," Andy said warily to the dog.

Mai had moved to the other end of the couch, and was busy taping. "Because he wants you to pet him, Andy!" She said sweetly.

"But does he _need _to crush my foot in the process?"

Mai blew out a loud sigh. "Come here, sweetie," she gestured to the dog. "Uncle Andy's being a big meanie. _I'll _pet you."

Anton moved to Mai's end of the couch, as the kunoichi continued to tape him. The dog sat down in front of her, and Mai reached out and started scratching behind his ears. Anton then tried to climb up on Mai's lap.

"No, no, Anton," Mai said as she took the dog's front paws gently in hand and placed them back down on the ground. "You can't sit on Auntie Mai's lap." She placed a hand over the small bulge in her stomach. "You see this bump? It's a baby that your Auntie Mai is growing in her tummy! That's why you can't sit on me. But in about four or five more months, you'll have a new cousin to play with. Won't that be fun?"

Anton stared with a look of incomprehension, and simply panted. At the other end of the couch, Andy had raised an eyebrow. "Mai... you would trust him with the baby?"

The dog was unable to feel offended, so Mai felt it was her duty to take offense for him. "Of course I do, Andy! You mean to say you don't? Just look at him. He's a big, sweet puppy!" Mai reached out and started to pet him again. "Aren't you, boy? Yes you are. _Yes you are!" _Mai had now turned the camcorder off and put it down, so she could use both hands. She leaned forward in her seat, and started to rub Anton's belly, while Anton licked her face.

Andy scrunched his nose a little. "Mai, you don't know where his tongue has been."

Mai rolled her eyes. "He's only kissing me. Do you _have_ to be such a downer, Andy? It's been a beautiful day! Stop ruining everyone else's fun." She then rose from the couch. "I'm gonna take a shower and then hit the sack." Mai started towards the bedroom, slapping her hand gently against her hip as she walked. "Come on, boy!"

Andy's nose scrunched further. "You're... letting him sleep on the bed?"

"Well, sure, Andy. His mommy lets him sleep on it. It's what he's used to! You don't like it, sleep on the couch. Or, you can come into bed when you're ready to apologize to Anton."

"Apologize for what? He can't even understand what we're saying!" Andy tried and failed to keep the frustration out of his voice.

"It doesn't matter!" Mai said. "He's a sweet boy, and you insulted him. So if you wanna sleep on the bed tonight, you owe him an apology." With that, Andy's wife disappeared inside the bedroom with Anton at her heels, his tail wagging vigorously.

After the bedroom door had shut, Andy sank back down on the couch and picked up the TV remote. "This is gonna be a long week," he said out loud to himself. "I hope Terry is having fun..."

* * *

**The Pao Pao Cafe - July 17th, 2001**

Yuri Sakazaki and Robert Garcia both laughed at the playback on the camcorder's display, which showed the video Mai had gotten on Saturday night. On the other side of the table, Andy stared down at his plate, his face beet-red. After it was done playing, Yuri passed the camcorder back to Mai. "Thanks for taping over that other thing, Mai," she told her friend.

"Of course," Mai answered. "You know you can trust me."

"With my life, yes," Yuri joked. "But not with a camcorder." The two women laughed at that.

"What other thing is she talking about?" Robert asked his girlfriend.

"We could tell you," said Mai as she forked the last bite of her salad, "but then we'd have to kill you."

"What she said, Robbie," Yuri seconded. "It was just icky girl stuff, anyway."

"Whatever," Robert shrugged and took another bite of his burger.

The two couples were eating lunch together, and had been chatting about both the recent wedding, as well as catching up on other things in their lives. Yuri had been hungry for as much information on Mai's pregnancy as she could get, both the ups and downs. The karate girl had also been having a hard time keeping her hands off of Mai's baby bump, and was disappointed that the child did not seem to be moving much. "Wait until the baby shower, Yuri," Mai had told her. "I guarantee you'll feel all sorts of movement, then."

Now they were nearing the end of the meal, and Andy took that moment to say: "We had a bit of an ulterior motive for asking you two out to lunch."

Yuri laughed. "Sounds like the plot of a bad spy movie. What's up?"

Mai's expression turned serious, then, as it had not been all through lunch. "As you two are well-aware, we live dangerous lives. I mean, just look at King of Fighters. Every single year of its existence since South Town's mayor reinstated it, there's always been some crazy-powerful, non-human entity that shows up at the end, hell-bent on destroying humanity. And the sponsors for the tournament are always just as bad."

"And there's other things, too," Andy added. "Mai and I have told you about the adventures we've had before then: Krauser, the Armor of Mars, and Geese Howard's return..."

"What we're trying to say," Mai started, then faltered for a few seconds. "Well... Andy, let's just show them." The kunoichi pulled a paper from her purse, neatly folded in half, and passed it across the table to the other couple.

Robert accepted and unfolded it, then started to read. Yuri picked up her soda and sipped it through her straw as she read over her boyfriend's shoulder. After they had read silently for a few moments, Yuri remarked: "Is this a legal document? These terms are making my head hurt."

Robert had read further than her, and said to the other couple: "I keep seeing the words 'legal guardians' in this thing. Is this..."

Yuri cut him off as the realization sank in. "Mai! Are... are you asking us..."

Mai nodded. "In the event that something should happen to me and Andy, we would want his aunt and uncle to assume guardianship of our child. We've already made the legal arrangements with them."

"But as we said," said Andy. "Terry and Mary lead pretty dangerous lives, too. So if something were then to happen to my brother and my sister-in-law, and our child had no living relatives, we're asking you two to assume that responsibility, and raise him until he's eighteen."

Yuri had sank back in her chair, her eyes shining with happy tears. "Mai... you... you really want us to... I mean, King won't mind that you're asking me and not..."

Mai nodded. "She won't. I've already told King about our decision, and she was fine with it. You and I both know, and I think Ryo does too, that her 'baby' is the bar. Yuri... ever since I met you and King, I've felt... something. A connection, and it's only grown stronger through the years. I was an only child, but my grandfather once said that friends are the family we get to choose. And he was right. You and King... aren't my friends anymore. You're my sisters. And I know how much you like kids. If our child had no living family, there is no one I would trust more than you."

Yuri was now dabbing at her eyes with a napkin. Robert said to Andy: "Don't get me wrong, Andy, I'm flattered that you're asking us, but... I'm a little surprised you didn't ask Joe."

Andy shrugged. "Well, Joe has become less of a playboy lately, but could you still see him raising a kid?"

Garcia laughed. "Not really."

Yuri sniffled a little. "Mai... you're my sister, too. I... I really don't know what to say, except: where do I sign?"

"Not here," said Andy. "We'll need to go to the public library after we've paid our bill, so it can be witnessed by a notary."

Mai and Yuri both got up from their seats and hugged each other. "I love you, onee-chan," Yuri whispered.

"I love you, too," Mai whispered back. "Thank you for saying 'yes'."

"I'm honored," Yuri replied.

The men were a little more reserved. "I won't let you down, Andy," Robert said as he extended a hand across the table.

"I know," Andy replied, and the two of them shook.

Right after that, Richard came to their table with three flutes of champagne, and one flute of ginger ale for Mai, so that the friends could drink a toast before paying their check and leaving to go to the library. Unshed tears of happiness shined in Mai Shiranui-Bogard's eyes as she raised her flute of soda. "To friends," she said. "The family you get to choose."

"To friends," the other three echoed, and they all drank.

* * *

**South Town International Airport – July 23rd, 2001**

"Thanks so much for the beautiful wood-carving," Mai said as she hugged her in-laws. Terry and Mary had gotten back from their honeymoon yesterday, and were now seeing Mai and Andy off as they boarded their own flight to Japan. "And for the coconut oil. I'll definitely be using that when my bump gets bigger."

"It was our pleasure," said Mary Ryan. "Thanks for taking such good care of Anton."

"That was _our _pleasure," Mai answered. "You ever need a dog-sitter again, Andy and I will be happy to do it. Won't we, baby?"

"Um, yeah... very happy," Andy said half-heartedly as he shook hands with his brother and his sister-in-law. While it had been nice spending the week hanging out and catching up with friends like the Sakazakis, Robert Garcia, King, Li Xiangfei, and Richard Meyer, the rest of the time Andy had been miserable. He knew it wasn't Anton's fault, but Andy seemed to have had nothing but bad luck when it came to that dog. He remembered one of the worst instances, which had happened a few days ago, when Andy had taken Anton for a walk. The dog had done his business on the sidewalk, and Andy realized that he'd forgotten to bring a bag, so he started walking Anton back toward the apartment to get one. Unfortunately, a policeman happened to see Andy walking away and thought Andy was just leaving the waste there. The officer might have believed his explanation, but they were close to the end of the month, so Andy had still gotten a fine.

"You just got off on the wrong paw with him, bro," Terry said with a smirk. "You should give him another chance sometime. You and he actually have a lot in common. He might be the only other one I know who would actually eat spaghetti and natto." He, Mary, and Mai then started laughing. Andy, meanwhile, grew red in the face.

"We should get on board," the younger Bogard told his wife. "I just heard the final call."

Mai had heard no such thing, but in the end, she said: "Okay, Andy, honey." She then gave Terry and Mary one more hug, and told them: "I'll call later this week. I want to hear more about your trip!"

"Sure thing," Terry told her. "Get home safe, you two."

"Stay healthy, Mai," Mary added.

"I sure will," Mai told her. "Take care!"

With that, Andy and Mai turned and entered their gate. As they walked down the gangway towards the plane, Andy put an arm around his wife. "Mai... I feel like I let you down this week."

Mai turned to look at him with confusion in her large brown eyes. "What do you mean, Andy?"

"Well, if Anton was meant to be practice, I... feel like I kept doing everything wrong. How can I be a good father if I can't even take care of a dog?"

Mai was silent until she and Andy had boarded the plane, stowed their carry-ons, and took their seats. Then the ninja girl turned to face her husband. "Andy, a baby and a dog are like apples and oranges. Besides, I already know you don't like dogs. I've known that ever since we were kids. But I've seen how you handle yourself around children. Remember at our wedding? Kim's son was afraid of you, for some reason, but you took that in stride, and handled yourself beautifully around him. And I've seen how you handle yourself around the younger kohai at our school. So I wouldn't worry too much. You're going to be a wonderful father. You've had several great role models."

Andy raised an eyebrow. "Um... who? I can only think of one, and I didn't know him for very long."

"Jeff Bogard wasn't your only father," Mai explained. "Ojisama finished the job that he started. Yes, Hanzo was your sensei, but he also made sure you got your high school diploma, taught you how to speak Japanese, put on a kimono properly, eat with chopsticks... every single thing you know about proper etiquette in my culture was because of him. He not only trained you to be a deadly weapon, he also taught you how to function in society. He was no Jeff Bogard, but I think he was a good surrogate."

Andy leaned down and gave his wife a kiss. "You're right, Mai. He _was _my second father, wasn't he? I... promise that... I'll do my best to raise his great-grandchild with the same care and devotion."

Mai smiled warmly at Andy, and caressed his cheek. "You'll do fine, honey."

Andy smiled back and lovingly brushed his fingers across Mai's bangs. "Thanks, Mai."

As the plane started to taxi onto the runway, Mai then said: "You know, Andy, I've been thinking about the tape I erased. I think it _would _be cool if my sisters and I got matching tattoos someday. Just... maybe not on my butt. Somewhere less conspicuous. My wrist or my ankle."

Andy couldn't help but smirk at that. He'd always thought that Mai _liked _attention. Though Andy didn't condone it, it was one of those things that just couldn't seem to be avoided. But it did help that at the end of the day, despite the legions of other men who ogled her, Mai's heart still belonged to Andy, so Andy was the only man who actually got to have her. "I'm surprised to hear you say that, Mai."

Mai saw the look on his face and knew what he was thinking. "Well, yeah, I do like getting attention. But it has to be the right _kind _of attention. People see my butt all the time, because of my kunoichi uniform. If it were tattooed, I'd have to constantly tell the story behind that. And I don't think my ass needs a story. It's perfect the way it is."

Andy laughed, and put an arm around her. "I won't argue with _that_."

Mai laughed along with him. "Listen to _you, _getting all fresh. Well, control yourself, Mr. Bogard. We have a long flight ahead, and there'll be no mile high club on this trip. We have to act like responsible parents now."

Andy leaned back in his seat, and Mai giggled as she leaned back with him, nuzzling his shoulder with her cheek. "Whatever you say, Mrs. Bogard," Andy told his wife. "It just means I'll have more saved up when I finally get you home."

* * *

**Mino, Japan – A cheap hotel on the outskirts of the city.**

"I gotta tell you, Sokaku... you sure know how to have fun."

Sokaku Mochizuki sat pretzel-legged on one of the two twin beds in their hotel room, palms of his hands resting upturned on his knees. "This is not supposed to be fun," he replied. "And if you wish better accommodations... I'm sure you can afford it with the downpayment I gave you."

"Who says I'm complaining?" Ryuji Yamazaki said with a laugh. He was sitting at the beat-up desk in the room, carving obscene pictures onto its faded surface with the tip of his knife. "Mystic monks: no grasp of sarcasm at all! And I thought you people were supposed to be wise."

Sokaku ignored the jibe. "The men you helped me acquire: they are positioned around Mai-san's dojo?"

Yamazaki gave a nod. "Yeah. I'm hoping to get a report from them soon."

Right after he said this, a shrill ringing noise was heard. Yamazaki pulled the cell phone from his belt, flipped it open, and brought it to his ear: "Talk to me."

"No sign of life," the voice on the other end replied. "All lights are off, and we haven't seen anyone come in or out since we set up yesterday morning. They're probably away on a trip."

"Gotcha," Yamazaki said. "Well, keep watching, but remember: be very careful. This ain't your usual job. These targets are highly-skilled ninja. They'll spot you easily if you're careless."

"Understood," said the voice on the other end. "And when contact is made?"

"Well, that depends. Gimme a sec." Yamazaki turned towards Sokaku. "Oh, wise one, what happens when our men make contact?"

"They monitor the situation," Sokaku answered. "And let us know when Andy or Mai leaves the dojo. But just one of them."

Yamazaki relayed these instructions to the grunt on the other end, who again said: "Understood. We'll keep you informed."

Yamazaki shut the phone and slipped it back into his belt. "See? I told you we could count on these guys."

Sokaku took in another deep breath, let it out slowly through his nostrils. "We need to be clear on one thing. Though I have hired you for a hit, Mai is off-limits to both you and our men. You may do whatever you wish to her husband, but _no one_ kills Mai except me."

The blond man shrugged. "Whatever. It's your money. So... the TV is busted. You wanna play poker or something?"

Sokaku shook his head. "I must continue to meditate. To focus my energies for the task at hand."

Yamazaki laughed. "I can tell you that killing ain't that hard." He pulled his knife out of the desk and waved the blade back and forth in front of his face. "You take this end here, and stick it into the soft parts. That's pretty much it."

"You understand nothing," Sokaku said with a grimace of disgust. "This is a sacred task that has been set before me. When the moment of truth comes, I must be absolutely ready."

"Yeah, to pay me the rest of the money." Yamazaki shrugged and sheathed his knife. "Fine. Sit there and be boring. I'm going to the bar. It's more fun there." With that, he picked up his light jacket off the back of the chair, donned it, and left the room.

"Good riddance," Sokaku muttered after the door shut. If he didn't have faith in Yamazaki's abilities, he'd have chanced doing this alone. But at least, for all his back-talk, Ryuji could still be counted on to act when the moment came. After a few more minutes, Sokaku reached for his praying staff, laid it across his knees. He then rested both hands on the half-moon head of the staff, and focused his energies.

_When the time is right_, he thought. _I must be able to unleash a spell that will obliterate the souls of both Mai and that half-breed in her belly. _After six long years, Sokaku sensed the time of his redemption was close at hand. This thought allowed him to have a very rare smile.

* * *

ADDITIONAL NOTES

This fic takes place back in the carefree days before September 11th, 2001, when you could accompany a traveler right up to the entrance of their gate, even if you didn't have a boarding pass. Speaking of which, I realized when I started work on this fic that that date is going to happen during Mai's pregnancy. I'm not sure if I'll tackle it or not. I may just mention it in passing, since I would only devote a chapter of this fic to the events of that day if I felt that I could handle it in the most respectful manner possible, to everyone involved: the victims, rescuers, and their families.

And according to Andy's page on the SNK wiki, he _does _dislike dogs. So it's amusing that he would be asked to dog-sit.

Coming up next: the plot part moves into high gear. Will Sokaku be successful? Find out next time.


	6. The Storm Strikes

All characters are the property of SNK/Playmore. I don't own them, the video games, or the anime

* * *

_Chapter Six: The Storm Strikes_

**Mino, Japan – The Shiranui Dojo – August 3rd, 2001**

The air in the bathroom was heavy with steam and the relaxing scent of sandalwood. For the ninja girl lounging in the full bathtub, it was as close to heaven as she could get. Well, as close as she could get without Andy in the room, anyway. Mai Shiranui-Bogard sighed happily as she lay back and soaked in the hot water, her hands resting gently on her belly, and with a damp washcloth draped over her face. She had just finished her low-impact aerobics for the day, and was now rewarding herself.

Ever since her morning sickness had gotten better, Mai had been trying to do at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. She'd found that being active helped ease the pain in her joints, helped her sleep better, and interestingly enough it helped keep her regular, which had been a problem at the start of her pregnancy (though she didn't share that with Andy). Her doctor had been helpful, as well, providing a list of exercises Mai should start doing in the third trimester, to better prepare her body for labor.

_It's also put me in a much better mood, which I'm sure that Andy is grateful for._ Even before she had gone off birth control, Mai had understood there were some sacrifices she would need to make when she got pregnant. The main one was that she would have to give up training in ninjitsu for nine months. She had been prepared to make this sacrifice, but a small part of her was still annoyed that she was falling behind. Looking back, she decided that might have been one of the things that made her extra testy in the first trimester, on days when her migraines left her bedridden. But now, being able to exercise made it a little easier for her. And since her mood and overall health had improved, there had been some days where she would help Andy teach class from a bench on the sidelines, watching the progress of the students, and calling out hints and pointers to those who appeared to be struggling.

_Of course, there are some students who are probably disappointed that my fighting costume is staying in the closet until after the baby is born_, Mai thought with a small smile. _But that's their problem. _She relaxed in the tub for a little longer, until her fingers were just starting to prune, then she sat up, pulled the plug, got out of the bath, and toweled herself dry. She then grabbed her favorite pink cotton bathrobe from its peg on the door, slipped it on, and entered the master bedroom.

Mai had pulled her hair up into a bun before starting her bath. She now sat down in front of her vanity, and removed the clips that held her bun in place, letting her hair flow down her back like a bright, copper-colored river. She spent the next several minutes brushing it, then used one hand to sweep it back into its usual ponytail, while her other hand fixed it in place with her treasured hairpin. She then put her wedding ring back on (she always removed it before bathing), and applied a very thin amount of strawberry gloss to her full lips.

That done, Mai moved over to the full-length mirror on her closet door. She untied her bathrobe and gave her shoulders a shrug, letting the garment slip from her body onto the floor. For a long while, she stood in front of the mirror, just admiring her reflection, one hand resting on top of her baby bump while the other hand rested on the underside.

"You are _rocking _this, girl," Mai said out loud to herself. "You really can make anything look sexy." She thought briefly about how she and Andy hadn't been able to be as physical as they used to. Since Mai had gotten pregnant, sex had gone from being an almost daily occurrence to maybe once every few weeks. Still, Mai took some comfort from the fact that even though they couldn't do it as much, Andy still gave her the same looks he'd always given her throughout their relationship, a look he'd never given to any other woman except her. So she knew that Andy still found her attractive, still desired her in every sense of the word, despite her growing belly.

Mai winked at the mirror, and then blew her reflection a kiss. She then moved to the futon, sat down, and reached for the bottle of Thai coconut oil that rested on her nightstand, which had been a gift from Terry and Mary. Mai opened it and applied a generous amount to her bump, making sure to rub extra onto both the sides, and underneath.

"I love you very much, my baby," she spoke softly to her stomach as she worked. "And I'm so happy to have you growing inside of me. But I'd still like to avoid the stretch marks, if I can." Though Mai hadn't planned for this, ever since she had competed in her first King of Fighters tournament six years ago, she'd garnered a reputation and a following as an international sex symbol. Although she would soon be a mother, Mai still had youth on her side, and her looks didn't seem to be quitting any time soon. So she wanted to keep that rep going for as long as she could.

_Stretch marks would definitely show in my fighting costume_, Mai thought as she capped the bottle and set it back on her nightstand. _And I don't feel like altering it again. Not until I'm in my forties. _Having finished her applications, she got up from the bed, moved to her dresser, and selected her undergarments: a pair of panties, bra, white camisole, and white tabi socks. Then it was back to the closet, where she took out a lavender kimono.

As Mai got dressed, she wondered if she should learn how to set up an official website for herself. After all, the spectators at King of Fighters had probably taken thousands of pictures of her at this point, and as the digital age really started to take off, it was much easier for those pictures to be circulated. But if she had a domain on the web, she'd also have a trademark, making it easier to control what people saw, and it would also allow Mai to prosecute bootleggers or people who tried to sell doctored nudes of her and pass them off as the real thing. _It's worth looking into. I think when I explain it to Andy in those terms, he should be okay with it. Especially the part about prosecuting pirates._

After getting dressed, and securing her kimono with a white obi, Mai gave herself another look in the mirror, once more rubbing her bump with one hand. "You are a sexy mama," she whispered, and then left the bedroom. She next went to the kitchen, and as she was pouring herself a glass of water, she happened to glance out the kitchen window, at the steel-gray clouds forming in the sky. _Storm's coming_, she thought. _I hope Andy gets back before it starts. _Her husband had gone into town to get take-out for their dinner, and he'd been in one of his heavy training modes, so he'd chosen to jog to Mino rather than take a cab.

Mai turned away from the window and took a sip of her water. As she did, her gaze fell upon the sleeve of her lavender kimono. "I think this would be a good color for a gender-neutral baby blanket," she said, thinking out loud to herself. "I'll just go see what materials I have in my sewing room."

She was about to leave the kitchen when she heard a faint tinkle off in the distance, like the shattering of glass. "Andy?" She called. No answer. Mai set the glass of water down on the counter, pulled a fan from the sleeve of her kimono, and started slowly down the hallway towards the source of the noise, forearms raised defensively. She got halfway down the corridor when she heard another faint tinkling noise, similar to the first one.

After a few more steps, a sliding noise could be heard, faint at first, but building in volume. Her brown eyes flicked down, and she saw a small, disclike object gliding across the hardwood floor in her direction.

Just in time, Mai recognized it, and she crouched down against the far wall, shielding her face with her fan. Not a moment too soon, as the flashbang went off a split-second after that. There was a loud pop, followed by a burst of brilliant light that would have temporarily blinded Mai had she been looking at it. Of course, it was still loud, producing a ringing in her ear, but the important thing was that Mai had been shielding her eyes, severely reducing the disorienting effect of the weapon. After the light faded, she stood and looked back down the hall, in the direction the flashbang had come from.

A dark-haired man in a black suit and tie was moving towards her, a switchblade in his hand. He looked confident at first, then he paused, faltered as he realized that his target was not staggering around half-blind. Mai flashed him a cold smile and tossed her fan in his direction with deadly aim. No sooner had the projectile left her hand then Mai was sprinting towards him, her upper body bent towards the ground in an attempt to shield the baby from harm.

By the time the man realized what was happening, Mai's fan struck him in the crook of his switchblade arm, which caused the whole arm to go numb, making him drop the weapon. A split second after that, Mai was on him, slamming her elbow into his gut with a body blow, doubling him over. Without pausing, the ninja girl grabbed him by the hair with both hands and jerked his head down, while at the same time bringing her knee up hard into his face.

A moist crunch could be heard as Mai's knee made contact, and then the man staggered backwards, blood pouring from his broken nose. Mai lunged again, doing a one-two combination on the man's jaw with both fists, this time sending him off to dreamland.

Once he was down, Mai rifled through his pockets, searching for anything she might be able to use. Her ninjitsu abilities were limited due to the baby, meaning she would need to avoid using most of her aerial attacks and anything involving high kicks. Unfortunately, those were her two biggest strengths in battle, so she would need to find other ways to even the odds. Whoever this thug was, she could bet that he was not alone.

_Who could have sent him? _The ninja girl thought to herself, then dismissed it just as quickly. _Concentrate on taking them out right now. Question them later, after they're subdued._

Eventually, Mai found another flashbang in the thug's jacket pocket, and not a moment too soon. Down at the opposite end of the hall, another black-suited man appeared, this one wielding a Beretta. As soon as Mai saw him raise the gun, she yanked the pin from the side of the flashbang, tossed it in the man's direction, and ran the opposite way down the hall, hunching over as much as she could.

The thug fired once, almost like a reflex action, and Mai felt a a searing pain as the bullet grazed her upper left arm, ripping the fabric of her kimono. A moment later, the grenade went off, and Mai heard a shout of surprise, followed by a clatter as the man dropped his gun, and began to stagger around, deafened and half-blind.

The ringing in Mai's own ear was starting to subside, and as it did, the gravity of her situation was setting in. She had almost been shot just now. They had not just been shooting at her, but also at her baby. _I don't know who these men are, but I'll do whatever it takes to defend my child. I've killed before, I won't hesitate to do it again, if there's no other option._

Mai rounded the corner as the ringing faded completely, which was around the same time the assailant behind her retrieved his gun. She heard two more shots get fired, both of which went wide since the man was still feeling the effects of the flashbang. She ignored them and continued up the next hallway.

"No guns!" A voice then shouted from somewhere else in the dojo. "No shooting! I told you, Mai-san must be taken alive, with her baby unharmed! The next man who shoots forfeits his pay!"

"That voice," Mai whispered to herself as she ran cautiously up the corridor, pulling another fan out of her sleeve. "It sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?" She then shook her head and focused her energies. She couldn't waste time thinking about that now. The only thing that mattered was protecting her child, and avoiding contact with any more intruders until Andy returned.

_But then, he doesn't know what's going on here. He might be walking into a trap. I need to get to a phone, call the police. They'll arrive faster than Andy. _Mai made a mental note of where she was. The closest phone would be in the reading room. She reached the end of the hallway, which then bisected into two directions, and peered cautiously around the corner, casting glances left and right. She saw nothing, but as she was looking she heard a noise behind her.

She glanced over her shoulder, saw the man she had blinded a moment ago, now recovered, running down the hall towards her. He was joined by another man, not the person Mai had knocked out a few moments ago.

_How many of these guys _are _there? _She thought. She slipped her hands up the wide sleeves of her kimono, counted to three, then spun suddenly on her heel to face them. As she finished her turn, her hands popped out of her sleeves, launching a flurry of fans at her pursuers. Most of them went wide, but a few struck them in various places, causing them to stumble and slowing them down.

Mai turned left and continued running as fast as her belly would allow her, knowing it was not as fast as she could normally run, meaning her pursuers would likely be catching up. But the doorway to the reading room was just ahead, and to the left...

...Then she heard another skidding noise, saw another stun grenade streak across the floor towards her. This time, she was unprepared. She tried to turn, but was too slow. The flashbang went off inches from her tabi-clad feet.

A searing white light tore through Mai's retinas, and the ambient noise of her environment suddenly faded, drowned out by a loud ringing in both ears, as well as the sound of her own heart pounding. She dropped to her knees, overwhelmed by the sudden assault on her senses. The world around her appeared to be moving at half-speed, but Mai was unable to react to it the way a normal human might be able to.

Through the red haze tinting the edges of her field of vision, she saw a black-suited man striding down the corridor towards her. She risked a quick glance over her shoulder, saw two more men coming up on her flank. Even through the haze of red and white filling her eyes, Mai could see that one of the men was holding something that looked like a zip-tie.

The sight of that gave Mai a much-needed burst of adrenaline. _You have no idea what's going on right now, but these men are a threat to you and your baby. The life inside you is helpless, and can't fight back. You NEED to protect it._

Mai took a deep breath, closed her eyes... and focused. Though the ringing in her ears was still loud, she could faintly hear the footsteps of the three black-suited thugs draw closer. She waited until the opportune moment...

...Then she sprang to her feet and did a quick turn, whipping the hem of her kimono around in a circle, the edges of the garment blazing bright with chi fire. "Ryu en Bou!" She shouted. Her attack struck all three men and knocked them to the floor.

Mai staggered forward, still disoriented, but the concern for her child's well-being gave her the will to focus, to move with deliberate steps. The man who had been in front of her attempted to reach up to grab at her leg, but Mai delivered a quick stomp to his face, knocking him out. After what felt like forever, Mai had reached the reading room. She slid the shoji door shut, turned the lock, and started towards the phone resting in its cradle by the bookcases.

"Mai!" A familiar voice could be heard at the other end of the room, cutting through the ringing in her ears. Mai turned, and though her vision was still hazy, she clearly saw her husband standing there next to the sofa, his blue eyes tinged with worry.

"Andy?" Mai half-muttered. It was difficult to focus, but a part of her was relieved that Andy had somehow gotten back so quickly. "Thank God you're here. Andy... men are trying to kill me. I need your help..."

"I know, Mai," said Andy, a smile working its way onto his face. "I'll help you. Just come closer to me!"

The ninja girl smiled warmly and staggered in Andy's direction, her ears still ringing. It was a miracle he'd gotten here so fast. But then, this only raised questions in Mai's overloaded brain. What was Andy doing in _here_, of all places? There were no other ways into the reading room, except the door Mai had used. And if Andy knew what was going on, why had he come into this room to wait for her, instead of doing something more to help?

Too late, Mai realized there was something wrong. She stopped in her advance, but she was close enough. The image of her beloved shimmered, and then faded, revealing the man who had cast the illusion spell: a familiar figure in a blue and white dogi, with a wide-brimmed rice hat concealing his eyes, armed with a praying staff.

"You!" Mai managed to blurt out. Even through the fog of light and sound still overwhelming her, Mai remembered their bout at the King of Fighters tournament in 1995. Then Sokaku Mochizuki slid across the floor in her direction. Mai attempted to backpedal, but her senses were already dulled, and she was unable to avoid the butt of Sokaku's staff, which slammed against her forehead. The ninja girl crumpled to the ground like a marionnette with its strings cut.

"Yes, me," Mai heard him say as she spiraled into unconsciousness. "The man who is going to redeem himself and win glory for his clan by slaying you, and your unborn child..."

* * *

Andy Bogard quickly picked up the pace as he walked up the winding roadway towards the familiar structure of the dojo, a bag of takeout in his right hand. The gray clouds overhead seemed to be increasing in number, and Andy hadn't brought an umbrella, so he would need to hurry before the rain started. _After all, Mai would NOT be happy if her yakitori got wet_. The grilled skewers were his wife's latest craving, and for whatever reason, Mai wanted them made with chicken gizzards and pineapple. Andy had ordered those for her, but went the safer route for himself with diced chicken thigh and green onion.

_Some of the foods that woman has eaten lately... _Andy thought to himself. First, it had been wasabi Kit-Kats and hachinoko, then it had been shrimp burgers from McDonalds, and Mai could sometimes eat three or four of them in one sitting. Which surprised Andy, seeing as how he could never recall Mai eating McDonalds, even after one opened on the outskirts of Mino while they were in high school. After a week of that, it had been unagi sashimi for a few weeks, and then while they were dog-sitting in South Town, Mai had tried a slice of pepperoni pizza the evening after their lunch with Robert and Yuri, and had wanted it for dinner almost every night while they were there.

The day after they got back to Japan, where the interpretation of pizza was something else entirely, Mai had asked Andy to get a pie with squid ink, bacon, and salmon roe, but thankfully she'd not been a fan of that one. Andy had tried to keep an open mind while growing up in her home country, and had embraced many things about Japanese culture, but deep down, he would always be an American, and pizza was one of those things that he felt America had perfected. So he was glad that Mai wasn't a fan of it here, and had quickly moved onto yakitori.

He was less than a mile away from the dojo when he saw a distant figure on the same side of the road, walking towards him, right hand in his pocket, matching Andy's pace and the depth of his strides. Andy stopped... and the figure stopped as well. Andy squinted at the man, cocked his head to the right, and whoever it was, they appeared to be doing the same, mirroring the younger Bogard's movement exactly (or as exact as they could).

He took a few more steps forward, and saw the same movements from the mystery man. Andy scratched his chin with his left hand, and the man did the same. _Wait, he seems familiar... _Andy leaned forward, and squinted in the fading light, ignoring the fact that the man was doing the same, and tried to get a better look. Tall, imposing, dressed in black with spiky blond tips in his hair, the man definitely looked like a fighter.

"Hello?" Andy called over to him.

"Hello?" The man echoed back.

Andy took another few steps, which were mirrored by the black-clad man, who stopped at the exact same time Andy did. "What do you want?" Andy called, starting to lose patience.

"What do _you_ want?" The man called back.

Andy shook his head, an action that was mirrored semi-closely by the other man. As Andy's temper rose, he suddenly realized that he knew who this man was. He'd seen him more than once at King of Fighters. In fact, five years ago he'd been on the same team as Blue Mary...

"I know you!" Andy called over to him. "You're... Yamazaki, right?"

Ryuji Yamazaki uttered that high-pitched hyena laugh that had always raised the hairs on the back of Andy's neck. "Yahtzee! You know, I'm a little insulted it took you so long! I guess you _are _inferior to your brother."

"What do you want?" Andy snapped at him. "I'm not in the mood for your games, Yamazaki."

"That's too bad, Bogard," Ryuji said with a casual shrug. "Because I'm always in the mood for games. You should know me well enough by now to know that it's not what _I _want, it's what the guy who hired me wants."

Andy did his best to keep calm, though a feeling of unease began to gnaw at the pit of his stomach. "And... what do _they_ want?"

Another casual shrug. "Oh, nothing much. Just your wife. And your unborn baby."

Instantly, Andy felt his entrails turn to ice. "Mai..." he whispered. He dropped the bag of food and began to sprint in the direction of the dojo. Ahead of him, Yamazaki assumed a fighting stance as Andy drew nearer. The blond ninja dashed across the street to try and move around the other man, but he quickly felt a jolt of pain on the side of his head as Yamazaki also jumped across the street in a flying kick, striking Andy with the sole of his shoe. This was quickly followed by a knee to Andy's gut, and an uppercut that caught him on the jaw and sent him flying backwards several yards.

"Sorry, Bogard," the hired thug said with air of being anything but. "Orders are to stop you from interfering with my employer's revenge."

Andy was now back on his feet in his own fighting stance. The thought of Mai in danger had flooded his system with adrenaline, which had helped him shake off the attacks from a few moments ago. Andy's brow furrowed as Yamazaki said that last word. "Revenge? Who could want revenge against Mai?" As far as Andy knew, the ninja girl had never made any major enemies at King of Fighters, except for maybe friendly rivalries with some of the women who'd been members of Mai's team.

"That's the best part," Yamazaki said with a wolfish grin. "Remember Sokaku Mochizuki? He and I helped Billy Kane with your assassination plot at KoF six years ago."

Andy's blue eyes went wide at the mention of that name. "Mochizuki... Mai's mentioned that name. They're the clan who've been feuding with the Shiranui clan for centuries."

"Yahtzee again!" Yamazaki shouted. "But here's the best part: he keeps spouting this huge load of horse shit about how it's his 'sacred mission' to destroy Mai and her baby. But I saw right through him from day one: the truth is, he's just angry because _you _get to bang her and he doesn't. But I took his money, anyway. I mean, he had a stupid reason for wanting to kill Japan's number one kunoichi. How could I _not _get involved?" He threw his head back and started emitting his freaky, high-pitched laugh.

Up above, the branches of the trees were swaying as the wind began to pick up. The sky grew darker, save for the occasional burst of summer lightning that tore through the gray clouds. Andy Bogard's eyes narrowed into icy blue slits as he took a deep breath, focused his energies. "I will _never _let anyone hurt my wife or our child! I will do whatever it takes to stop them. Even if that means ending you!"

As if he'd been waiting to hear that, Yamazaki stopped laughing, and gestured with his left hand. "Come on, then! I'm the only one standing in your way! What are you waiting for?"

Andy rushed at him, then, stopping when he was only a few feet away. He braced his feet against the ground in a wide stance and rocked his upper body forward, thrusting his arm out in a lunge punch aimed at Yamazaki's face. The black-clad man moved his head slightly to avoid it, then quickly moved his head the other way to avoid the follow-up from the opposite fist. Yamazaki attempted to counter with a roundhouse kick, but Andy ducked it and swept his opponent's other leg. Yamazaki went airborne to avoid it, then tried to bring his heel down like a hammer on Andy's head. Andy pivoted his body to dodge that, deflected Yamazaki's mid-torso strike, and countered with an uppercut that caught him square in the jaw.

Ryuji staggered backwards a few paces, and studied his opponent through the drizzle of rain that was starting to fall. Given what he'd read on Andy Bogard through files stolen from the now-defunct Howard Commission, he'd expected to be facing a man who was quick to anger, to let his emotions overrule logic and reason, especially when Mai was threatened. Yamazaki had been hoping to use that to his advantage. But the man he faced now... was fighting with control, with purpose. Andy truly loved his wife and their baby, was afraid for them, but he also knew he couldn't help them if he was dead. Andy's resolve to protect them from harm was giving him a focus that Yamazaki had not been expecting.

_Well, just because he's harder to break, doesn't mean he can't still be broken._ He was already busy plotting new strategies when Andy came at him again, once more in a series of controlled jabs and kicks.

"I gotta say, Bogard," Yamazaki said as he back-pedaled to avoid the attacks. "You're actually making this more fun for me. You're not as predictable as you used to be. I guess married life _does _change a guy. I only hope that you don't take too long to beat me, because who knows what's happening up at the dojo? Your wife might already be dead, and your baby along with her..."

For a moment, Andy paused, his blue eyes flicked upwards to the structure of the dojo atop the hill, his home, less than a mile away. Yamazaki pounced on that and quickly brought his left hand down to his belt. Andy was so focused on what was happening elsewhere that he just barely saw the flash of steel out of the corner of his eye, and jumped backwards as Yamazaki swung out with his knife, although the tip of the blade still ripped the fabric of Andy's shirt.

Andy took a deep breath, forced himself to focus again. _Don't let him get to you. Mai is a strong woman. You _know _she can take care of herself. She can't perform all her moves right now, but she would still do everything she could to protect the baby. _He steeled himself and moved forward again. Yamazaki's knife hand flashed again, sweeping left to right and then back the other way, more rapidly than before. Andy did his best to avoid the swings and watched for an opening. Sadly, the weather was not cooperating with him. The raindrops were starting to increase in number and size, and the wind was blowing the rain into Andy's face. The blond ninja had to blink rapidly to keep the water from hazing his vision, which made dodging his adversary even more difficult.

Finally, Yamazaki overreached with his knife arm, and Andy pounced on it. He pivoted his upper body to avoid the strike, grabbed his opponent's wrist, and started to twist it at an odd angle. Ryuji moved to the left along with Andy's arm to avoid getting his wrist broken, but he was still forced to drop the knife in the process. Andy then brought his knee up against Yamazaki's torso, and dropped backwards, flinging his opponent bodily overhead. Yamazaki hit the ground rolling, splashing through several rain puddles, and then found his feet again. Not a moment too soon, as Andy pressed his attack.

Yamazaki had to twist to the side to avoid a flying kick, and as he turned his body, he spun his left arm around in a haymaker. Andy had been trying to correct himself after missing with his kick, and the blow caught him on the left shoulder. It was followed by a high kick that struck Andy on the back of his head, sending him to the ground.

That second hit had dazed Andy, and he quickly shielded his head with his arms and tried to roll away from Yamazaki, but the other man's foot still caught him in the chest, sending Andy flying through the air until he slammed into the trunk of a tree. In seconds, the blond thug was on him again. He kicked Andy a few more times, ping-ponging him back and forth between the tree and Yamazaki's foot.

Then, suddenly, the assault stopped. "I could do this all day, Bogard," Yamazaki explained. "But like you, I'm just not complete without my own true love. Excuse me a sec." So saying, he walked back over to the spot where Andy had thrown him, bent, and retrieved his knife. "Hello, little darlin'," he said as he kissed the flat end of the blade. "Miss me?"

"_Chou Reppa Dan!"_

Andy's cry preceded him as he barreled feet-first through the driving rain. His feet, wreathed in chi flames, slammed into his opponent's back and sent him flying several yards down the road.

"Damn, that's right," Yamazaki said with a cough as he got shakily to his feet. "I forgot. You can hit people even after you're down. Just like a skunk!"

"Enough games!" Andy said as he started towards Ryuji again. "I told you before: I don't _want_ to kill you. But let me pass, or you'll leave me no choice."

Yamazaki simply gave a noncommittal shrug. "Better hurry then, Bogard. I thought I just heard a gunshot."

Andy paused in his advance, an eyebrow raised warily. "You're lying. That was only thunder."

Another shrug. "Hey, man, I've been at this game a long time. I _know _the difference between thunder and gunshots. You sure you wanna question me?"

"I'm not going to fall for this."

"Okay, but just in case I'm right, you _should_ hurry. If that _was _a gunshot, would be a shame if it hit something important. Like your wife's stomach. Gut wounds are _really _painful. Especially with a kid in there, because then you've got the added bonus of a miscarriage..."

Andy gave a cry of rage as he launched forward in a Zan-Ei-Ken, moving almost too fast for an ordinary man to follow. But Yamazaki was not ordinary. He waited until the last second, then with equally blinding speed, whipped his right hand from the pocket of his trousers.

His fist blazing with purple energy, Yamazaki quickly thrust it in Andy Bogard's direction. A huge spiral of dark chi flame spiraled outwards from his fist like a drill, and Andy's forward momentum caused him to meet it at full velocity. The energy slammed into Andy, coursing through his body, reducing his attack to nothing. He remained trapped inside the maelstrom of energy for a few more seconds, and then was thrown violently backwards, striking the same tree he'd been kicked into not long ago.

As Andy lay there on his back with the rain falling upon him, he felt an intense pain coursing through his body, a pain he'd not felt since the night he was caught in Geese Howard's enhanced Raging Storm attack. As he'd done then, he tried to will himself onto his feet, except this time, the stakes were much higher. _Get up, Andy! _He told himself. _Shake this off and power through it. Your family is counting on you!_

Through the sound of the wind, the thunder, the rain battering the pavement, Andy could hear one very distinct sound: footsteps drawing nearer to him. In his head, he recited one of the mantras that Hanzo-sensei had taught him, to teach him to take his mind off the pain and focus. Those footsteps were Andy's focus.

_He is working for a man who is trying to take away the people you love. Just like Geese Howard once did. You were helpless to do anything for Jeff Bogard, you're not helpless now. You can fight. So FIGHT!_

Andy opened his eyes again, slowly drew a deep breath in through his nostrils. The footsteps came closer, Andy waited another moment... and launched into his Ku Ha Dan attack. Both feet struck Yamazaki square in the face, and knocked him back several yards again. Andy, however, was unable to follow up on this right away, as he was still shaking off his opponent's last attack. So he slowly rose to his feet, his blue eyes burning with a cold fire, and turned to face his foe, assuming a defensive stance.

Yamazaki laughed and spit blood onto the rain-soaked ground. "You've got some fight left. I _like _that."

"Then you'll love this," Andy growled, and fired a rather large Hishou-ken at Yamazaki. The psychotic man simply stood there with a bored look on his face, then suddenly his left hand shot up, palm open, and caught the blue fireball as if it were no more than a baseball. The energy seemed to disappear inside of him, and then his right hand emerged from his pocket once more and launched a fireball twice as big as Andy's had been.

Andy was too startled to dodge, and took the blast head-on. He screamed in agony as it tore through him, and sent him back to the ground. As before, he tried to move, but found it to be much more difficult than last time. And unlike last time, his opponent was much closer to him.

Andy then felt an intense pressure on his chest as the sole of Yamazaki's shoe pressed down on it. He looked up, and through the haze of the driving rain, saw the knife in Ryuji's left hand.

"Playtime is over, Bogard," he said, with a tone that sounded almost solemn. "Now it's time to get down to business..."

* * *

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Concerning Mai's cravings: yes, shrimp burgers are a real thing on a McDonald's menu in Japan. And also, Google "Japanese pizza," and see what comes up. You'll find I wasn't exaggerating there, either. Honestly, this is one of the things I've LOVED about writing this fic. Since Mai lives in Japan, she can have much more interesting pregnancy cravings.

And another "reality" moment: I've read that pregnancy can cause constipation. But I like to think my word choice painted it in the best light possible. ( ;

And another shout-out to JojoDO. Until I read his fanfic, I had forgotten about Yamazaki's "Double Return" special move. Since Andy was fighting for his family, and thus had more focus, I figured that was the best way for Yamazaki to gain the upper hand.

So, up next: the plot part concludes. What will happen to the Bogards, and their baby? I'll try to finish the next chapter as soon as I can. I'm excited for you all to read it, because I'm having fun writing it. But it won't be going up until I'm happy with it. Until next time, pray for Mojo...


	7. A Mother's Love

Well, I've kept you all in suspense long enough. It's time for you to find out if Sokaku and Yamazaki kill Andy and Mai. Here's the conclusion of the plot part! Hope you enjoy!

All characters are the property of SNK/Playmore. I don't own them, the video games or the anime.

* * *

_Chapter Seven: A Mother's Love_

As she regained consciousness, Mai wasn't certain how much time had passed. She remembered being on the floor of the reading room, seeing the image of Sokaku Mochizuki standing triumphantly over her, before everything went black. When she clawed her way back to the land of the living, it was to the sound of rain drumming on the rooftop. The ninja girl blinked rapidly, trying to ignore the sharp pain in her head, and took stock of where she was.

Slowly, the bright lights faded, the hazy blobs flooding Mai's retinas coalesced into recognizable order, and she saw that she was in the gym of her dojo, seated on one of the wooden benches lining the walls. Her hands were behind her back, bound at the wrists with a zip-tie, and a short length of rope encircled her, keeping her arms pinned at her sides. Two men in black suits were seated on either side of her, while two more black-suited men stood guard at both exits from the gym. And in the center of the room, sitting pretzel-legged on the tatami mats with his staff balanced on his knees...

"Sokaku..." Mai muttered groggily, sitting up a little on the bench. "What the hell are you doing here?" This movement alerted her captors and one of them pulled out a switchblade, deftly opened it, and then held the tip of the weapon dangerously close to Mai's pregnant stomach.

"No sudden moves," the man with the switchblade said menacingly. "Wouldn't want anything to happen to your baby, now, would you?"

For a split-second, Mai fixed the man with a stare which said that he would be the first to get taken out once she found a way to get loose from her bonds. Then she blew a sharp breath out through her nostrils and allowed her frame to sag slightly in her seat. Better to act subdued, in order to make it easier to lull these men into a false sense of security.

"Keep a sharp eye on her," Sokaku said to the men from his seat on the floor, almost as if he'd been reading her mind. "She is kunoichi. Deception is a part of their trade. She will use anything, including her feminine wiles, to get you to let your guard down. Do not be fooled by her act."

"So you've done your homework," Mai said to the white-clad man. "Good for you. But you still haven't told me what the hell you're doing here."

Sokaku ignored her. Instead, he took a deep breath in through his nose and out through his mouth, laid his hands on the half-moon head of his praying staff. As Mai watched, she swore she could see black tendrils of energy worming their way out of the mystic's hands and into the wood of the staff. She recalled what he'd said earlier before Mai blacked out, about redeeming himself through the act of killing her and the baby, and a sense of unease began to gnaw at her stomach.

Mai took a relaxing breath, tried to will herself to stay calm for her child's sake. Andy was still out there, a fact that Sokaku was either unaware of or was choosing to ignore, and even though she was bound, Mai was not helpless. If she stayed calm and focused, she'd eventually think of a way out. In the meantime, the best course of action seemed to be to try and analyze her enemy while she looked for an escape route.

"Okay, if you're not gonna tell me what you're doing here," Mai said to him. "I'll try to figure it out for myself. How about this: you're just a blind little sheep, carrying out the will of your clan because having a real life would be too hard, since it involves having fun?" Still, she got no answer. So, she gave a small shrug. "Or, maybe you're just jealous because I wear a thong better than you."

"My clan has nothing to do with this, because they do not see the wisdom in this action," Sokaku said sharply, his head rising suddenly, even though his hands remained focused on his staff. "But it is something I have meditated on, ever since you and I fought at the tournament..."

"Really?" Mai laughed at him. "Because I haven't been thinking about _you. _In fact, before you invaded my home, I'd forgotten you existed. I've been finding more important stuff to occupy my time: traveling, making new friends, making new clothes, passing on my clan's ninjitsu to a new generation, getting married, starting a family with my husband... you know, just living life. Like normal human beings do."

"Yes," Sokaku hissed at her through clenched teeth. "I've been keeping an eye on you, watching as you gave yourself to an American, an _outsider_, and then tainted the pure blood of Nippon by rutting yourself to him like a bitch in heat, letting him put a half-blood abomination in your womb. When I learned of this, I of course informed the elders of my clan, but they still could not see the necessity of your death. But soon, I will rectify your mistakes, and reclaim my honor, even without their blessing."

For a time Mai was silent, fixing her adversary with a smoldering stare. There were many things she _wanted _to say: chiding him for calling Andy or her baby "mistakes," pointing out that it was lunacy to do something like this without the approval of his clan, how killing her would basically be a signature on his own death warrant. Not to mention the fact that Sokaku probably had no idea what started the feud between the Mochizuki and Shiranui, or why. But as she stared at him, she found herself reading the lower half of his face. Though she couldn't see his eyes, her "sixth sense" was still in peak form...

"Oh my God..." Mai said softly, then a shudder of revulsion ran through her. "You're not doing this for honor at all. You have a crush on me!"

Sokaku snorted. "Don't be ridiculous!"

Mai shook her head. "You _do, _so don't try to deny it. I'm an expert at reading people." Another shudder ran through her. "Gross, dude! Just... eeeew, _GROSS!_ You're not even in the same league as my husband. Not in the same fucking sport! You're what, old enough to be my dad? I wouldn't get with you even if we were the last two people on earth. I would rather the human race go extinct than ever hook up with you! Just... no! No on every level imaginable..."

Mai continued to spout her disgust with no signs of stopping or shutting up. On either side of her, her black-suited captors rolled their eyes. Angrily, Sokaku rose from the floor, stormed over to where Mai was sitting, and cuffed her on the mouth. Mai's head knocked back and bumped into the wall behind her, sending fresh waves of pain shooting down through her neck to the rest of her body.

"Shut up!" The monk snarled at her. "If you continue braying like that, the next time I strike you, it will be in the stomach."

Mai glared up at him almost defiantly, once more thinking of several things she _wanted _to say. But in the end, her desire to protect her baby won out over that. She shut her mouth and looked down towards the floor. Sokaku walked away and once more knelt in front of his staff.

_Andy will get here soon_, Mai thought to herself. _Then we'll really make you sorry._

"I suppose you're wondering why I don't seem concerned about your husband," Sokaku said a few seconds later, again as if he'd been reading the ninja girl's mind. "I am aware that he's out there, and you expect him to be home soon."

Mai said nothing. She simply continued to look down towards the ground, even though her eyes kept scanning the rest of the room.

"Fortunately," Sokaku went on. "I have taken measures to deal with him. The only reason I haven't killed you yet is because I want to be certain Andy Bogard is dead, so I don't have to fear him interrupting my moment of triumph."

Mai raised her head to look at him, then, a smirk on her face. "Good luck with that. My Andy is a beast when his loved ones are threatened. You'll need an army to stop him!"

"Or just someone really crazy who loves knife-play," spoke a voice from the doorway. "That's as good as an army!" Mai turned her head to the left and saw a familiar figure dressed in black trousers and a form-fitting black shirt and vest enter the gym. Rainwater was dripping off of him, and he appeared to be carrying something slung over his shoulder that looked like another person. "Hey, Mai," he said with a nod as he crossed the room to stand behind Sokaku. "How's your sister-in-law these days? She grown a sense of humor yet?"

Seeing him from the front now, Mai recognized the man, and she could feel her sense of unease once more building in the pits of her stomach, harder to repress this time. "Yamazaki?" She asked nervously.

The blond man gave her a courteous nod, almost like a bow. "Aw, you do remember me! And yet, I didn't even get invited to your wedding! Or Mary's! Well, tell her I said no hard feelings the next time you talk to her." His eyes then flicked down to Sokaku, still kneeling in front of his staff. "Oh, yeah, right, well, you probably won't get to speak to her again. Forget I said anything. I'll tell her myself."

Mai could now get a better look at what was slung over Yamazaki's shoulder, and even though she couldn't see the person's face, she saw the familiar shock of bright blond hair, and felt her entrails turning to ice. Sokaku was now on his feet with his praying staff in hand. "Is it done, Ryuji?"

Yamazaki gave a small shrug and dropped his burden harshly onto the floor. "See for yourself," he answered.

Mai could now clearly see Andy's body sprawled on the tatami mat, his white shirt ripped and covered with blood. His eyes were open wide, unblinking, his expression blank, and he did not appear to be breathing. "Andy?" She called over to him. There was no answer. Tears began to form in the ninja girl's eyes.

Sokaku glanced down at Andy for a few moments, then nodded and looked back up at Mai. "You see?" He said with a smirk of triumph beneath his rice hat. "No one can save you now."

"Andy!" Mai called over to her husband, refusing to believe that he might be gone. "_ANDY!" _Her cry was now more frantic, but still, Andy did not move. "No..." She whispered, bending her head towards the ground as tears began to spill more freely from her eyes. "Andy... Andy... Oh, Andy, no... No..." She squeezed her eyes shut and started to sob. A part of her was praying that when she opened them again, she would find that this was all just a dream, that she had fallen asleep in her bath, and that Andy was still on his way home with their dinner. She just couldn't believe that after everything they'd been through, all the battles they'd fought, and won, and survived together, that her beloved Andy had just been murdered. She opened her eyes, and through the haze of her tears, she forced herself to look at Sokaku and Yamazaki. "How could you?" She sobbed at them.

Yamazaki gave a shrug. "You _really _want the details? Because most people don't."

Mai bowed her head and began to cry again. Sokaku's smirk widened into a smile. "Now it is time for my honor to be restored." He then snapped at the two men sitting next to Mai: "Bring her to her feet!"

Mai felt herself being grabbed by the arms of her captors and yanked roughly into an upright position. This brought her gaze back to Sokaku again, at the look of total satisfaction on his features (at least the half of his face that she could see), and she began to feel a spark ignite within her. Though her heart felt like it was ready to shatter into a million pieces, a small voice inside of her told her that now was not the time to grieve. She could mourn Andy later, when it was safe to do so. Right now, her baby was in danger.

_Andy may be gone_, the voice said. _But you still have to protect his child. _Mai drew a deep breath and focused. The baby in her womb was her last connection to Andy, and as long as Mai could draw breath, she would fight to keep it alive.

She looked back down at the floor again, took another deep breath. Sokaku started towards her, his praying staff out in front of him, muttering some archaic words that Mai could not understand. She allowed herself to sag in the grip of her captors, and then felt them relax just a little...

...Exactly what Mai wanted. Moving with blinding speed, Mai thrust her hips back, away from the blade of the man on her right, then brought her knee up hard against his wrist, disarming him. She followed this with a headbutt that dropped him to the floor. The man on her left could only stand there and look confused, as Mai dropped into a crouch and delivered a leg sweep, knocking him flat on his back. She followed this with a swift kick to the side of his head, rendering him unconscious.

Sokaku, who had been confident that his rival was broken, suddenly faltered in his advance, and could only stand there and stare as the kunoichi struggled against her bonds. Mai clenched her teeth and focused her chi fire into her hands, softening the zip-tie around her wrists, but only slightly. She strained against it, trying to pull her arms in opposite directions, even as the tie dug into her flesh and started to draw blood.

Finally, with a scream of rage that sounded almost inhuman, Mai yanked her hands apart, snapping both the tie around her wrists, and the cord around her arms. The guards by the doors took notice of this, and started to advance. Sokaku was so startled that he actually took several steps backwards, moving closer to Yamazaki.

Mai turned all of her anger on the two men standing several yards in front of her. "I'll start with you, murderer!" She snarled at Yamazaki, then drew two fans from her kimono and started forward.

Sokaku was now visibly sweating. He glanced over at Yamazaki, who seemed more relaxed, right hand casually in his pocket. "Do something, Ryuji!" He shouted.

"Ten-four, good buddy!" Yamazaki replied. He then drew his knife from its belt sheath. Mai paused in her advance, raised her fans defensively in case she needed to block it. Yamazaki flung the knife... and Mai watched it sail past her, missing her by several feet, embedding itself in the shoulder of one of the Yakuza thugs who had been coming at Mai from behind.

"Urgh!" The man cried out as he dropped his weapon. He then looked at Yamazaki with a hurt expression. "I thought you were gonna hit me with the flat edge!"

Yamazaki gave a nervous chuckle. "Whoops. Oh, yeah. Well, I'll buy you a steak after this is over."

Sokaku was now looking even more panicked than before, and turned on the man who he thought was his partner. "Ryuji! What are you doing?"

Yamazaki emitted his usual, high-pitched laugh. "Double-crossing you, Sokaku. What's it look like I'm doing?" He then raised his left hand, speaking to the other grunts advancing on Mai: "Take five, guys!" Upon hearing that, every black-suited man nodded and paused in their advance, lowering their weapons.

"Well, it's about time!" Mai then heard Andy's voice. She saw her husband get to his feet, and quickly assume a fighting stance. "Do you _know _how hard it is to play dead?"

"_Andy?"_ Mai asked incredulously. "You're alive! How..."

Andy glanced down at his gore-splattered shirt. "Oh... this isn't my blood. Yamazaki killed a squirrel."

Sokaku suddenly realized the true gravity of the situation, and backed away from Andy and Yamazaki towards the far end of the room. "Ryuji!" He snapped. "This was your plan from our first meeting, wasn't it? You _always_ intended to double-cross me!"

"What can I say, Sokaku?" Yamazaki said with a laugh. "When you're right, you're right!"

"Enough talk," Andy growled, and started towards the mystic.

"Both of you stay back!" Andy stopped advancing, and turned to look at his wife. Mai was standing in the center of the gym, her fans out and raised in a defensive stance, her large brown eyes burning with an intense fire that Andy had never seen before. "He is _MINE!"_

Andy's eyes flicked briefly down to Mai's baby bump. "Mai, are you sure you want to do this? Our baby..."

"...Will be fine, Andy! I will _never _let that piece of filth hurt my child! I personally don't care about the rivalry between our clans, but I'm happy to finish what he started! This is between me and him!"

Andy could tell by the look on Mai's face that this was another argument he wouldn't win. He gave a solemn nod, then stepped back out of the way, though he maintained his own defensive stance.

A hundred feet away from Mai, Sokaku Mochizuki gripped his praying staff in both hands. "The time of my redemption is now at hand," he said calmly to Mai. "You're a foolish girl to challenge me. My magic shall completely obliterate you and your half-breed baby!" He then bowed his head and began to mutter some dark words that Mai could not hear, nor did she care to.

"Anytime, loser!" Mai snapped, widening her stance as she waited for the first attack. It came suddenly in the form of Sokaku's Nozaru Geri move. Tiny clones of the monk seemed to materialize out of nowhere, and immediately started to swarm at Mai. The ninja girl took a deep breath, and calmly began to use her fans to swat each and every clone out of midair, keeping both feet on the ground the whole time. By the time she was finished, not a single clone had managed to touch her.

"Curses!" With a snarl of rage, Sokaku charged at Mai with his staff raised, the head glowing faintly with the dark magical energy he'd focused in it. Mai raised her fans again, prepared to counter...

As he got closer, Sokaku suddenly began to shimmer, and then two mirror images of himself seemed to split away and take up stances on Mai's flanks. Mai took another deep breath and swept her gaze over the three Sokakus surrounding her, looking for any sign that would give away the real one.

She took a small, cautious step to her right. Her opponents followed suit, but when their feet touched the mat, Mai only heard noise from the Sokaku on her left flank. She spun quickly in the direction of that Sokaku, ducking just in time to avoid getting struck in the head with the butt of his staff. As she moved back to a standing position, she brought her right arm up and forward, slamming her fan hard into his jaw. Sokaku cried out and took a step backwards, and the other two mirror images surrounding Mai vanished.

Undeterred, Sokaku then tried to swing his staff in a low half-moon circle, intending to strike Mai square in the belly with its head, releasing the dark magic coursing through it in order to effectively abort Mai's baby...

...His staff never made contact. Mai whipped the hem of her kimono towards him in her Ryu En Bou attack, the garment blazing with chi fire. The flames struck Sokaku's staff, and it shattered into splinters, negating his dark spell. Sokaku himself gave a cry of rage as the energy flung him backwards, towards the far wall. He struck the ground in a heap.

Off on the side, Andy Bogard watched the fight with concern. He'd never seen Mai do such a powerful Dragon Flame Romp before. The blond ninja had actually needed to shield his eyes momentarily from the brightness of the flames. A part of Andy was still worried for her and the baby, but the ninja girl appeared calm and determined. So far Sokaku had not managed to get in a single hit, so Andy was going to trust his wife.

Sokaku gave another shout as he rose to his feet. "How?" He exclaimed, looking down over the ruins of his staff now littering the tatami mat. "This should not be happening! How could that attack have failed?"

"How could it not?" Mai answered him. "Your motive is impure." She placed one hand gently over her baby bump as she spoke, and there was something in her tone that almost sounded like pity. "I'm fighting to protect this child, who I love more than anything. What are _you_ fighting for, Sokaku? Hate and bigotry? A mother's love is stronger than that. And always will be."

"Boooo-ring!" Yamazaki called out. "Will you just waste this guy already?"

Mai and Sokaku both ignored the humor. The monk spat contemptuously in Mai's direction. "Sentimental hogwash! There is nothing impure about wanting to restore Clan Mochizuki to its former glory. Which is what I will do here today!"

Once more, the fire was back in Mai's eyes. "Come at me, then! Let's finish this right here and now!" With that, Mai placed her feet shoulder-width apart, stuck her fan in her mouth, then pressed the palms of her hands together in front of her chest and bowed her head.

Sokaku gave a maniacal laugh to rival Yamazaki's, then grabbed up one of the larger pieces of his staff, a shard of splintered wood that tapered off to a very sharp end. "Foolish cow!" He laughed. "You're leaving yourself wide open!" So saying, he began to run at Mai, wielding the piece of wood like a dagger.

"Um... should you still be staying back?" Yamazaki asked Andy.

Andy raised a hand in front of the thug. He had seen Mai assume this stance before and knew what was coming. "She knows what she's doing." But Andy had also never seen it this intense. The ninja girl appeared to be hovering about an inch off the ground, the air around her crackling with a noise that sounded like burning kindling. The chi energy she was focusing made both her ponytail and forelocks stand on end...

Sokaku rapidly closed the distance between them and raised his makeshift weapon, preparing to plunge the sharpened end into Mai's stomach. Before his hand could come down, Mai Shiranui-Bogard's eyes snapped open, her deep brown irises glowing slightly. An immense pillar of bright chi fire then seemed to spiral up from the ground in front of her, right where Sokaku was standing.

"_**KAGEROU NO MAI!"**_ The ninja girl screamed as she unleashed her devastating attack. The flames were so bright that Andy found he had to look away. But he could still hear Sokaku's screams as the energy coursed over him. After several seconds passed, Andy felt a burst of heat as the chi flames dissipated. He opened his eyes and saw Sokaku crumpled on the floor, smoke rising from his body. A faint smell of cooked meat began to fill the room. A few feet away from the monk, Andy saw his wife down on one knee, breathing hard.

Ignoring everyone else in the gym, Andy Bogard ran to Mai's side, crouched down next to her. "Mai..." He started to say, reaching a hand out cautiously.

At the sound of her husband's voice, Mai's head came up, and she threw her arms around him. She clung to Andy tightly, as if she were afraid he might disappear, while she kissed his face over and over. "Andy... oh, Andy, my love... thank Gods you're alive. I was... I was so scared I'd lost you."

Andy gave a nervous laugh. "Hey, I'm not allowed to get killed on you, remember? I was more worried about _you_, even after Yamazaki told me what his real plan was."

Mai took a break from kissing Andy and then looked around the gym. Yamazaki appeared to have vanished, along with those of his men still conscious. "Where'd he go, anyway?" Mai asked.

Andy shook his head. "That's not important right now. The important thing is, are _you _all right, Mai? Is the baby...?"

Mai put a hand to her stomach. "The baby is fine, Andy. I can feel it moving. I'm just... I've never executed a Solar Flame Dance that powerful before. It... took a lot out of me. But... I still want to go to the hospital. And... we need to call an ambulance for _him_." She nodded at the prone form of Sokaku Mochizuki, still sprawled on the floor. Most of his clothing had disintegrated, and he was pockmarked with second and third degree burns which were starting to blister. His chest still rose and fell, but his breathing was labored.

"Um, do we _have _to get him medical attention?" Andy asked with a scowl.

"Yes," Mai answered grimly. "I was willing to kill in self-defense, not commit cold-blooded murder. He survived my attack, so I'm not just gonna do nothing and let him die."

"Okay," Andy said, as he rose to his feet. "Can you walk?"

Mai was about to insist she was fine, then decided this was one of those times she should swallow her pride. "I'll... need some help."

"Of course," Andy said as he offered her his hands, helped Mai to her feet. The two of them then started towards the door to get to the nearest phone, Mai walking slowly with both her arms around Andy's waist. She gently nuzzled her husband as they walked, still feeling the immense relief of knowing that he was there, and alive.

* * *

Several hours had passed since the emergency call had been placed. Mai's OB/GYN had been notified, and insisted that the hospital send two ambulances: one for Mai, and one for Sokaku. After they had arrived at the hospital, Mai's doctor then refused to let the police take a statement from her until he'd performed an ultrasound and physical exam, and also dressed the wounds on her wrists. Even after that he wanted to be present when the statement was taken, to make sure his patient wasn't being agitated by their questioning.

Fortunately, the police didn't need to question her too long. As Mai was being examined, Andy gave them his own statement: that he was bringing dinner back to the dojo, when he was attacked by a man who told him about a threat against his wife. This man then brought Andy back to the dojo, and after an additional struggle, Mai had been forced to defend herself against Sokaku.

Mai, who gave her statement from her hospital bed, simply corroborated all of this, and added that she'd been in the kitchen when she heard windows being broken, and then she was attacked by a man in white and several men in black suits. She also stated: "Sokaku and I fought each other in a tournament a few years ago. I beat him then, and I guess... he harbored a grudge because of that."

Finally, things had settled down a bit. The local police concluded that the dojo had been broken into by intruders, and Mai and Andy had acted in self-defense, so neither of them were being charged. Sokaku was handcuffed to a hospital bed in the burn unit, hooked to a respirator with an oxygen tent draped over him. A little while after the police left, the doctor came back in to say that Mai's ultrasound appeared normal, with the baby in no apparent distress.

"But I still want to keep you here overnight, Mrs. Bogard," her doctor went on to say. "For observation. We'll do another ultrasound in the morning, and if it's still normal, I'll send you home."

Mai had needed some coaxing from Andy, but in the end, she agreed that was probably the best plan of action. So the doctor told her: "The two most important things you can do right now are to rest and relax. That man who attacked you can't hurt you now..."

"I know he can't hurt me," Mai said, sounding a little annoyed. "I'm the one who put him in your burn unit."

The doctor nervously cleared his throat. "Um, yes, well... anyway... it's still important you relax for the baby's sake. Is there anything we can bring you?"

"A cup of mint tea?" Mai asked him.

The doctor nodded. "I'll have someone bring it to you as soon as possible. I'll be back to check on you later. Mr. and Mrs. Bogard." With that, he shook their hands and left the room.

After he was gone, Andy turned towards Mai's bed. "Mai, I'm glad you're alright, but I've been wondering: what happened up there? Those attacks you used..."

Mai gave a grim nod. "I know. I haven't been able to train since I got pregnant, so I've been spending more time reading my clan's history in the scrolls. And I've read accounts from my ancestors. In the early years of our clan, Shiranui women sometimes had to do battle even when they were with child. And... you know I've never been burned by my own chi fire. So after reading their accounts, I figured the baby would be safe, since it was inside of me. I guess I was right."

Andy reached out, and took Mai's hand in his own. "That makes sense. But one thing I don't get: Why you were able to unleash such powerful attacks on Sokaku? I've never seen that from you before. How did you do that?"

"I don't know," she told her husband. "When I was gathering my chi for the Kagerou No Mai, I was of course thinking about my love for you, and for the baby, and the joy I'll feel when I finally get to hold it. But... it was almost like I felt someone else combining their love to my own... it was pure, innocent... the love of a child. Like the baby... joined its love to mine? I'm not sure. What's important is that we're all alive, and safe, and that Sokaku... is no longer a threat to us."

"But... what about Yamazaki?" Andy asked warily.

Mai was about to say something more, and then the phone by her bed started to ring. Mai flinched away from it for a moment, then she asked Andy: "Did you... get a chance to tell anyone what happened?"

"No," Andy said. "I haven't been able to call Terry or Joe."

After another moment, Mai picked up the phone and brought it to her ear. "Hello?" She asked warily.

"I gotta say," the voice on the other end said with a laugh, "that was _awesome _what you did to Sokaku. I can tell you from experience it'll take at least a month to get the smell outta your gym."

Mai put her hand over the mouthpiece. "It's Ryuji," she said to her husband.

"Put him on speaker," said Andy.

Mai pressed the button. "You're on speaker, Yamazaki," she said into the mouthpiece. "Andy is with me. Now talk. Why are you calling us?"

"Is that any way to speak to someone who just spared your hubby's life?" The voice on the other end said. "You wound me!"

"You've got some nerve calling us..." Andy started to say, then Mai placed a hand over his mouth.

"You'll forgive us if we're suspicious," the kunoichi said. "Mary's told me about your reputation."

"She has? Well, that's nice of her! Hope you've heard good things!"

Mai exhaled sharply. "Based on what we _have _heard, I want to know: why would you help us?"

"Well," Yamazaki answered, "I've carried out plenty of hits. But never against a pregnant woman. I have to draw the line somewhere."

"I've also heard enough from Mary to know you're not that soft," Mai retorted. "What's the _real _reason?"

There was a laugh on the other end. "Okay, ya got me! The truth is: Sokaku's plan was to make the attempt against your life look like a mob hit. Which was why he brought me and my pals in. So here's what would have happened if he'd been successful in killing you both: I know the reputation of the Hungry Wolves. Once Terry Bogard learned of your deaths, he'd have been on the first flight to Japan, probably with his lady friend in tow. Scratch that, _definitely. _Blue Mary would not stay at home and mind the store while her husband was off in vendetta mode. And your gal pals would want to come, too."

"Yeah," Mai agreed. "King and Yuri would have wanted satisfaction, as much as Terry and Mary."

"And if they were coming along, their boyfriends would have followed. And once they landed here, they'd have hooked up with Joe Higashi. A few of your other old teammates might also have wanted in. And maybe Athena would have joined them. And then... we'd have a small army of well-tuned fighting machines burning Japan's criminal underworld to the ground, trying to find your killers. I depend a lot on the criminal organizations in this country. They're how I pay the bills. So I'd rather not see them get burned down.

"And then we have the matter of your own clan. Eventually, they'd learn the identities of everyone involved in your murder, which would include me. We all know I'm good. The best, actually. But I'd rather not have to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder for old-school ninja hit squads. Someday, one of them might get lucky. So, this whole situation, had it gone the way Sokaku wanted, would have created two massive headaches... that I don't need."

"That sounds more like you," Mai said, after Yamazaki had finished his explanation.

"But if your plan was always to double-cross Sokaku," Andy asked. "Why beat me up? Why not just tell me?"

"Because I was bored," Yamazaki answered. "I've been spending the last few weeks cooped up in a cheap hotel, with no TV or women. _And _I had to share a room with Sokaku. That guy snores. So, you'll understand if I wanted to have a _little _fun first. And anyway, I think a few bruises made things look more convincing."

"Well... thank you... for helping us," Mai said the words slowly, since it felt strange to be thanking him. Almost like she'd been transported to another dimension. So she quickly added: "You realize, though, if you _had _killed my Andy, I would have killed you. Probably with your own knife."

He laughed again, and Mai couldn't help but shiver at the idea that he seemed excited by that statement. "I'd expect no less. But I still wouldn't go easy on you."

"It wouldn't matter," Mai said.

"So... what happens now?" Andy spoke into the mouthpiece.

"Now... as we speak, an emissary from the Mochizuki clan is on their way to deliver a briefcase to a man named Kobayashi-san, a kumicho in the Yakuza and a buddy of mine. The briefcase contains two-million in American money, unmarked. Kobayashi-san is to consider that compensation for his trouble, and his men's trouble, and an incentive for the mob families to never get involved in the clan feud ever again. I've already called Kobayashi, and told him the smartest thing he can do is smile, nod, and accept the money. So... that's it."

"Really?" Mai asked, her voice skeptical.

"Yeah, you think I wanna hang around here any longer? I hate these small towns. It's back to Tokyo for me."

"Well, you'll forgive us if we're still suspicious," said Andy. "You're not gonna show up at our door in a year or two, saying we owe you a favor, are you? I'd rather not owe a man like you favors."

They heard a short, high-pitched laugh. "You're smarter than I thought, Bogard. Nah, don't worry about it. Sokaku paid me up front, so my time wasn't completely wasted. Though... if you _really _wanna thank me... you could name the kid after me?"

Mai couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't push your luck."

"Ah, it was worth a shot. Oh, just out of curiosity, since I don't care either way: how's the guy who started all this?"

"He survived my attack," Mai answered. "Barely. But if he _was_ acting alone without the blessing of his clan, then I know he's not leaving this hospital alive."

"It's just a question of who gets him first," Andy said. "An assassin from Mai's clan, or his own."

"But that's not my concern," Mai added. "I'm done thinking about him. He chose his own fate."

"Yeah, whatever," said Yamazaki. "Well, I guess everything's wrapped up. I'll see you at King of Fighters sometime." With that, the line disconnected.

* * *

Standing on a bridge spanning a small river, Ryuji Yamazaki pressed the END button on his cell phone. He then snapped it in half and tossed both pieces over the side of the bridge into the water. Sticking his hands in the pockets of his slacks, he walked towards a black car that was parked a few hundred yards from where he'd been talking. The storm was mostly over, but a light mist still descended from the clouded night sky.

Upon reaching the car, he opened the left rear door and got in. Three other men dressed in black suits and ties were already in the car, one of them with his right arm in a sling. "What now?" Asked the one behind the wheel.

"Now," said Yamazaki. "We're done here. It's beer o'clock. The sooner we get back to Tokyo, the sooner we can start drinking."

"I'm gonna hold you to that steak," said the man in the sling.

"Whatever," Yamazaki said with a shrug. "Hell, we can all have steak! Our good, soon-to-be-dead buddy, Sokaku, is footing the bill tonight anyway." With that, the blond psychopath started to laugh as the car merged back onto the road and started off in the direction of the highway.

* * *

After the line went dead, Mai reached behind her and placed the phone back on its cradle. "It's over," she told her husband.

Andy's forehead was still lined with worry. "Can we trust Yamazaki?" He asked.

Mai shook her head. "No. But you know how good I am at reading people. I got the sense... he was telling the truth. And we also know that Sokaku is toast."

Andy sank back slightly in his seat. "Then... it _is_ over."

"I think so," Mai said to her husband. Then she emitted a yawn. "Andy... I don't think I can wait for my tea. I... suddenly feel really tired."

"That's okay," Andy told her. "Go to sleep. The doctor wants you to rest."

Mai used her remote to move her bed into a flatter position. Then she asked: "Andy, can you see if there's another blanket in this room? This gown is pretty drafty."

"Of course." Andy Bogard rose from his chair, and found another blanket in one of the cabinets. He draped it over his wife and tucked in the edges.

"Thank you, baby," Mai said to him. She then pulled her grandmother's hairpin from the base of her ponytail and handed it to him. "Look after this for me?" She asked.

Andy smiled as he accepted the pin and stuck it in his pocket. "I'll be here when you wake up."

Mai's forehead creased then, as she gazed up at him. "Andy, promise me that while you're here, you'll let a doctor examine you. You _did _take a beating earlier."

Andy sighed audibly. "Mai, I've had worse than..."

"Promise me."

Another deep sigh. "I promise, Mai."

"Thank you, Andy, honey," Mai said, then yawned and sank her head back on the pillow. "I love you," she whispered.

Andy leaned in and tenderly kissed his wife's eyes. "I love you, Mai," he whispered back to her. "You and the baby. I love you both too much to ever get killed on you."

Mai gave a contented sigh and shifted slightly beneath her covers, a smile on her full red lips. "Andy..." She whispered, though she was too tired to continue that sentence. The next moment, she was snoring softly, her hands resting over her stomach.

Andy spent the next few minutes watching her sleep peacefully, secure in the knowledge that it was over, and they were all safe. Then he left to go and find a doctor who would be able to examine him. The sooner he got that done, the sooner he could come back here, so he could be next to Mai when she woke up...

* * *

ADDITIONAL NOTES

So, some might accuse me of making Mai uber-powerful in this fic. It was actually a one-time thing, inspired by the phenomenon of mothers being able to perform superhuman feats of strength under duress (think the story of that mother who was able to lift the car off her child, when their legs were pinned underneath it). So, Mai being able to break her own bonds was caused by a huge adrenaline burst, because her unborn child was threatened. Same thing with that devastating Solar Flame Dance she unleashed. She probably couldn't do that again in a tournament setting.

And according to what I've researched, the medical philosophy in Japan concerning a pregnant woman is that the most important thing is for her to be as calm and relaxed as possible throughout the pregnancy. Which is why I wrote her doctor the way I did.

And that wraps up the plot part. I know it seems sudden, but Mai still has a few months to go before she pops out her kid, and it just didn't make sense to me to have Sokaku resting on his laurels during that time. He seemed pretty raring to go.

Anyway, I have at least two chapters left in me, maybe three. And it's pure fluff and slices of life again from here on out. Hope you're enjoying so far! Until next time...


	8. Back to Normal Sort Of

All characters are the property of SNK/Playmore. I don't own them, the video games or the anime.

* * *

_Chapter Eight: Back to Normal... Sort Of_

**August 25th, 2001**

"NOOO! What are you doing? Aaaagh, don't! For God's sake, no!"

Andy Bogard was jolted awake by the sound of his wife's cries. He sat up on the futon, eyes blinking rapidly, his brain launching into defensive mode. It hadn't even been a month since the attempt on Mai's life, so he was still on edge.

He glanced at her side of the bed, saw that she wasn't there. Which kicked his protective instincts into even higher gear. It was almost one in the morning. Where could she be, and why?

"No!" Mai shouted again, more frantic this time. "Oh, this hurts too much! I can't look!"

It sounded like it was coming from the TV room. Andy leaped out of bed, yanked the fusuma door open, raced down the hallway...

...And when he reached the open doorway to the TV room, he saw his wife sitting on the couch, wearing a pair of capri pants and a baggy white T-shirt with the words WORK IN PROGRESS written across the stomach in bold black letters. On the table in front of her rested a large bowl of barbecue potato chips and a bottle of ginger ale. She was utterly engrossed in the TV, which was showing live footage of Kyo Kusanagi fighting King.

"Damn it, King!" Mai shouted at the TV. "Stop using Venom Strikes! You know his flames can just break through those! Get in close to him! Go hand to hand! Limit his ability to use fire!"

Andy blew out a long sigh of relief, which Mai heard, and she turned to face him. "Oh, hey, Andy," she said. "Sorry if I woke you. I was just... watching the King of Fighters tournament. The Finals are this weekend, you know."

Andy smacked his forehead. "Right! I completely forgot about it, since we weren't going this year. And it's noon on Friday over there in South Town."

Mai nodded. "Yup." Then she winced again as she looked at the TV, saw Kyo's Orochi-nagi burn through King's attack and strike the blonde kick-boxer, sending her flying back several yards. "Get in _close_, King!" She shouted at the screen. "What is wrong with you?"

"Um, Mai..." Andy asked warily. "Do you think you should be watching this? You're... getting a little too excited."

"Andy," Mai told her husband. "This baby is part Shiranui. That makes it a ninja in training. It could use a _little _excitement. And there is no way I'm shutting this off, so you can go back to bed, or you can sit down, and be quiet, unless you're going to comment on the tournament." With that, the kunoichi turned her full attention back to the match on TV. Andy stood in the doorway for another moment, then sat down on the couch next to Mai.

They watched as King finally realized the only way she would stand a chance against Kyo (either on her own or because she could somehow hear Mai's shouting through the television), and closed the distance between them. As King ran towards him, Kyo tried to launch another projectile attack along the ground, but King jumped to avoid it, sailing forward through the air. Her knee caught Kyo on the shoulder, and she followed almost immediately with a side kick from the opposite leg. Kyo was knocked back a few feet, but King kept up the close quarters, and continued to advance, forearms raised defensively as she watched for another opening.

"So I know that Blue Mary has taken my place on the Fatal Fury Team this year," Andy said. "But what are the other lineups like?"

"King asked Yuri to rejoin her original team this year, since I had to sit this one out," Mai explained. "Yuri managed to convince her dad to let her by telling him that she was not only helping out a friend, but also that since Yuri was a godparent to our baby, she felt obligated to help. Takuma relented after hearing that, telling her that as long as she was back on the Kyokugen Team next year, she could help us out this year. She and King asked Li Xiangfei to fill the third spot on the Women's Team, and another of Takuma's students is on the Kyokugens with Ryo and Robert. I think his name is, um, Khushnood Butt."

Andy, who was normally not the sort to laugh at crude humor, couldn't help but chuckle. "Is that... really his name?"

Mai giggled. "I guess so. I wonder why he's never changed it. Maybe he's just proud of where he came from, like I am. It's why I decided to hyphenate my last name after we got married."

"I'm glad you did." Andy moved closer to his wife and put an arm around her. "Shiranui-Bogard has a better ring to it."

The two of them continued to watch the match on TV. Surprisingly, after a close exchange of fisticuffs, King appeared to have Ryo on the ropes. The couple watched Mai's friend dodge a roundhouse punch from Kyo, and respond with a leg sweep, and then a quick heel drop to the stomach. Andy then felt his wife give a small shudder. "Ooh!" Mai said, her hands going to her baby bump.

"You okay?" Andy asked her.

"Yeah," Mai told him. "The baby just kicked me. I think it likes what we're watching." Mai slowly began to rub her belly, as she leaned down and whispered: "That's right, baby. You have strong legs, just like me and your Auntie King. Someday, Daddy and I will teach you how to kick ass just like we do."

Andy frowned. "Mai... should you use that language when you talk to the baby?"

"Well, yeah. It can't understand me yet. It only knows the sound of my voice, not what I'm saying."

"Okay," said Andy, though he didn't sound convinced. Still, as they watched the bout on TV, the arm he had around Mai drifted down so he could rest his hand on the top of her bump, to feel their child kick.

About ten minutes later, something very unexpected happened. Kyo, who had been close to the ropes for several minutes, swung a haymaker at King, his fist charged with fire. The blond kick-boxer ducked to avoid it, then while in her crouch cocked her head back to dodge Kyo's knee, and countered by sweeping his other leg, knocking it out from under him. As Kyo was falling towards the canvas, King launched into an uppercut, blasting the fire-wielder up towards the ceiling. While he was in midair, King rapidly kicked his body with her right leg, keeping him aloft. She finished by delivering a somersault kick with her left leg that caught Kyo in the ribs and knocked him from the ring, ending the match.

For a while, both Andy and Mai sat there, too stunned to speak. Apparently, that was also the general feeling at the KoF stadium in South Town, because for a minute no sounds came from the TV except for the cheering of Yuri and Xiangfei. Then finally, the rest of the spectators erupted in applause, as well. The announcer slapped himself across the cheek, and then shouted into his mike: "Winner... King!"

Right after that, Andy and Mai felt another kick. "I know, baby," Mai cooed at her stomach. "That _was_ really cool. Your Auntie King just took Kyo down a peg! It's... actually kind of shocking that happened."

"Well," Andy pointed out. "Kyo didn't seem to be bringing his A Game to this fight. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that he disappeared for several months after the last tournament, and then had no memory of where he'd been when he finally surfaced again?"

Mai shrugged. "Could be. Well, whatever the reason, it still was cool to watch King kick his ass."

"Yeah. Serves him right. Especially after what he did to you."

Mai laughed and rested her head against Andy's shoulder. "Wow. You really _can _hold a grudge, can't you?" She knew her husband was referring to the tournament in 1997, when Mai's team had been eliminated during the quarterfinals by Team Japan. Mai had wound up facing Kyo in that bout, whom she had never seen or heard of before. Despite the fact that he'd beaten her, the ninja girl couldn't help but be impressed. Kyo was younger than her, but his mastery of fire seemed to be years beyond Mai's own ability, rivaling that of her grandfather in his middle age. "I mean, yeah, he burned me... but I recovered."

After their bout, Mai had been resting in the infirmary, getting the second-degree burns on her arms tended to, when Kyo's teammate, Goro Daimon, had paid her a visit. He handed Mai a small jar of salve, saying it was from a recipe that had been in the Kusanagi clan for generations, and if Mai applied it to her burns, they would heal cleanly, without leaving scar tissue. It turned out whatever was in that medicine... worked exactly as advertised.

Now, sitting next to his wife on the couch, Andy scowled again. "I just don't see why he couldn't bring you that himself, and had his teammate do it for you."

Mai giggled. "Maybe he was too intimidated by my beauty to come talk to me. You _are _aware of the effect I have on young men. Well, men of any age."

In the end, Andy couldn't help but laugh along with her. "I'm _very _aware of the effect you have. I'm one of those men, after all."

"No, you're not. You're different. Because you're the man who won my hand, and the only one who gets to have me." Mai kissed him on the cheek, then reached forward and grabbed some chips from her bowl.

"Sometimes I still wonder how I did that," Andy said with a laugh.

Mai rested her head against him once more. "Because you are a sweet, kind, loving man. I learned that about you even before _you_ did. And now, I can't wait to have your baby."

"Oh, Mai..." Andy didn't care that she still had the artificial flavor of mesquite on her lips. He turned to her and kissed her deeply. The kiss was only interrupted by the sound of the announcer on TV as the commercial break ended, and then the couple snuggled on the couch while watching the tournament.

Kyo's shocking defeat had apparently demoralized the Japan Team, because Benimaru and Goro lost almost too easily to Yuri and Xiangfei. By the time that 3 AM rolled around, and the broadcast was over, both Andy and Mai were exhausted, but a little excited at the teams facing off in the Finals tomorrow: in a bizarre twist neither one of them would ever have thought possible, it was Team Fatal Fury vs. Team Women Fighters.

* * *

**Later, that same day...**

"Well, _that _was interesting," Mai remarked as she strolled hand-in-hand down the sidewalk with her husband. The couple had just gotten out of their latest prenatal class, which had involved watching instructional videos on breastfeeding.

"How so?" Andy asked her.

"Well, as a kunoichi, I was trained to use what the Gods gave me to distract my opponents and achieve my goals," Mai explained. "So I guess... most of my life, I've never thought of my boobs as anything except a tool to that end, something that turns men into babbling morons, and also one of my erogenous zones. That video we watched... made me remember that these things actually have a practical use intended by nature. So it was... surprisingly educational for me. I mean, I learned a _lot_."

"That's funny," said Andy. "I was sure that I was the one who'd be learning more. I just assumed... you already knew that stuff."

The two of them both started laughing as they walked. "So, out of curiosity, Andy, _did _you learn anything from those videos?"

Andy shrugged. "Sort of. I learned you still have the best boobs in Japan, but that's pretty much it."

Mai punched him playfully on the arm. "You're damn right I do!"

A few minutes passed as they walked in silece, then Mai asked him: "So, out of curiosity, _did _you learn anything from the videos we watched?"

Andy turned his head slightly towards her. "Um... you already asked that, Mai."

Mai seemed confused. "I did? Are you sure?"

Andy suppressed a chuckle. "I'm afraid so. I told you that I learned you still have Japan's number one boobs."

"Oh, that's right! Darn it, it happened again! Why does this keep happening?"

Andy said nothing in response to this. Lately, Mai had taken to saying something or asking Andy a question, and then a few minutes later, would say the same thing again, always unaware that she was repeating herself. She's been worried at first, but at her last ultrasound appointment, her doctor assured her that it was normal for an expecting mother to sometimes become extremely forgetful. Andy did his best to be sympathetic, but secretly, he thought it was funny (though he would never say that to Mai, or laugh out loud at the problem).

The couple then spent the next few hours shopping for groceries, and also picking out a few unisex clothing items for the baby. As they'd been taught at one of their classes, they bought a few different sizes. Finally, it was mid-afternoon, and after taking a pause to eat some yaki imo, the couple were walking in the general direction of the dojo. Andy carried the grocery bags, which were heavier, while Mai carried the shopping bag with the baby clothes.

"Let's get a cab, Andy," Mai said. "I'm feeling a little sleepy. When we get home, I'm gonna slather my stomach with moisturizer, and then I'm gonna take a nice, long nap. I'll need some rest if I'm gonna stay up to watch the end of the tournament."

"We don't have to stay up," Andy pointed out. "They'll be showing the highlights in a few days on Fuji TV, during daylight hours."

"That's not as exciting as watching it live," Mai argued. "Besides, do you want to wait that long?"

Andy shook his head. "No. I'll be right there with you." When Andy spoke, Mai couldn't help but notice that his voice carried a tinge of annoyance.

"Oh, Andy," Mai said sadly as she gave her husband a loving pat on the arm. "Are you annoyed because our teams actually made it to the Finals this year, and we weren't there?"

"Yeah," Andy replied. "I feel like it's some cruel twist of fate. Like, of course the one year we're not there, our teams get to the Finals. I mean, we had a good reason for not being there. You can't compete, and I didn't want to leave you alone. But still..."

Mai gave his arm another pat. "It's okay, Andy, honey. I'm a little annoyed, too. But I still have no regrets. It'll all be worth it when I finally get to hold our child."

"Mai Shiranui!" Shouted a voice from the other side of the street. Instantly, both Andy and Mai dropped their bags, and turned in the direction of the voice, assuming defensive stances. On the opposite sidewalk stood a well-built man in a purple fighting dogi. The brown hair on top of his head was short, except for several bangs that extended out over the mask which concealed every part of his face except for the eyes.

"I have come to fight for the honor of winning your hand!" The man went on to shout.

Mai allowed her defense to drop a little, but only slightly. "Um, you're a bit late, whoever you are. I'm Mai Shiranui-Bogard now." She raised her right hand, so the man could see the glint of the gold wedding ring on her finger. "I've been happily married for a few years, and I'm carrying his baby. So that ship has sailed."

The purple-clad man did not seem deterred. "I am still prepared to fight for you, to save you from this hakujin who has clearly brainwashed you with his American charm. I will make a better husband than him!" He then turned his gaze to Andy, his brown eyes narrowing. "What say you, American scum? Are you prepared to defend your claim to her?"

"I don't have any 'claim'!" Andy called over to him. "Mai isn't property, she's a woman with a mind of her own. And she's clearly made her choice. So for your sake, just keep walking."

"Never!" The man shouted as he started across the street. "Shiranui-Mai is the epitome of the Japanese ninja maiden! I will fight anyone, anywhere, in order to win..." He made it halfway across the street, and then his rambling was cut off as a bus struck him head-on and sent him flying several hundred feet.

For a moment, both Mai and her husband could only stand there looking confused. Then Andy asked her: "Who was _that_?"

Mai shook her head in bewilderment. "I honestly don't know. The crest on his tunic was Clan Kisaragi, but other than that, I've never seen him before. They're neutral with Clan Shiranui."

"Should we be concerned about this?" Andy asked his wife.

Mai glanced down the road at the crumpled form of the man who'd accosted them. Thankfully, an ambulance had been driving past at that moment, so they had stopped to tend to the wounded ninja. "I'll be back!" The man was trying to shout through a collapsed lung as the paramedics loaded him onto a gurney. "I will not rest until you have a man worthy of your beauty!" Then his gurney was shoved into the ambulance, the doors were shut, and they were on their way.

"I don't think we need to be concerned about anything, Andy," Mai told him as she picked up her shopping bag. "Now let's go home."

Andy nodded, and picked up his own bags. "Fine with me," he said, and the couple continued up the sidewalk, watching for an empty cab to come past them.

* * *

**August 26th, 2001 – Early morning...**

In the TV Room of the dojo, Andy and Mai sat on the couch with a large bowl of popcorn on the table between them. The first match of the Finals was finally about to begin, after they'd been forced to sit through a round table of what felt like an endless string of predictions from an "expert" panel of "martial arts commentators." Neither Andy nor his wife could honestly say they'd ever heard of any of those people, and they all seemed to be talking out their asses, anyway.

But finally, the pre-game was done with, the National Anthems for the countries of the fighters still competing had been sung, and the first two opponents, Joe Higashi of Team Fatal Fury, and Li Xiangfei of Team Women Fighters, were entering the combat zone to a storm of applause from the stands.

"I'm a little surprised King's not fighting him," Mai remarked. "Not that Li isn't up to the task of kicking Joe's sorry butt."

"Maybe King was afraid of him," Andy chided. He and Mai might be deeply in love with each other, but they were each still loyal to their teams. The King of Fighters tournament was the only facet of their marriage where all bets were off.

"More likely they're saving her for your brother," Mai shot back. "If anyone can beat him, it's King. So pay attention. Maybe you'll learn something."

"I just hope her clothes are sturdy," Andy remarked. "In case he breaks out the Buster Wolf."

Any further ribbing between them was silenced as the announcer yelled: "_FIGHT!_"

For several minutes, both fighters circled each other warily. They each knew the stakes, and so neither one was willing to charge in recklessly. Joe eventually started things off with a Hurricane Upper. Xiangfei spun to the side to avoid it, then spun forward towards her opponent. Joe came at her and attempted a slashing kick to her head, which Xiangfei danced past, and then swung her arm out in a vicious backhand, catching Joe on the side of the head.

The Chinese Kung Fu artist tried to follow this up with a cross jab from the opposite hand, but Joe deflected with his forearm, and countered with a mid-level roundhouse kick that caught her in the side. She fell towards the ground, but did a quick somersault and regained her footing with a handspring.

Not a moment too soon, as Joe came in fast with another high kick aimed at her head. Li ducked, then swiftly rose to her feet and countered with her Nanpa. The blue half-circle of energy shooting from her fist struck Joe in the chest and sent him staggering back several paces. She followed this up by cartwheeling forward, and then when her feet were back on the ground, slicing her arm out in a mid-level chop, which also connected.

"Damn, that girl has style!" Mai said around a mouthful of popcorn. "Better dresser, better on her feet... I'm sure she could probably outeat him, too."

Andy laughed. "They should have an eating contest sometime. Joe _would_ leave her in the dust."

Meanwhile, in the match on TV, Xiangfei was trying to press her advantage. She attempted to follow her mid-level chop up with a lower gut punch from the opposite arm, but Joe pivoted his body to avoid it, and spun around with his right leg extended, hitting Li with another roundhouse kick. As he was putting his right foot back on the ground, he swung outwards with his left leg and caught her again, this time in the stomach.

Li attempted to circle to the right, but Joe turned along with her, attempting to move behind his opponent. Xiangfei paused momentarily, letting the kick-boxer complete the movement. When Joe was behind her, he attempted to lunge again, and Xiangfei quickly thrust both elbows backwards, slamming them into his solar plexus. She followed this by bending her knees slightly in a half-crouch and spinning to face him, bringing her left fist forward, again into his stomach. She finished with a high kick that caught him on the chin and sent him to the other side of the combat area.

"That's what you get, boxer boy!" Mai shouted at the TV.

"Don't count him out just yet," Andy said calmly. "We know that Joe can bounce back from a beating. Remember his comeback fight?"

"He got lucky," Mai retorted around a mouthful of popcorn. "He wasn't fighting Xiangfei."

It turned out that Andy was correct, however. Joe appeared to be doubled over on the opposite end of the ring, still winded from the body blows. Xiangfei charged forward and did a jump into the air, somersaulting several times before extending her right leg, ready to bring her heel down like a hammer...

...Only to have Joe rise up at the last second and blast her with a Screw Upper attack. Li was thrown to the other side of the ring, and from there, the match didn't last much longer. Li still put up some resistance, and managed to catch Joe with her Devotion Fang attack, but in the end, he still KO'd her.

Even though Andy was gloating, he could still see that Xiangfei's counter-moves had taken a lot out of his friend. Which was probably why when the next match started, pitting Joe against Yuri, the karate girl managed to KO the kickboxer in only a few minutes.

"Well, that's too bad, Andy," Mai said as the tournament went to commercial. "If only Joe had tagged in one of his teammates... but he still doesn't know when to quit, does he? Meanwhile, Yuri is still fresh enough to take down another member of your team."

"We'll see how well she does against an opponent who wasn't already tenderized for her," Andy countered.

Now that they were at commercial, Mai took that moment to move a little closer to Andy. "You know, Andy, the last time Joe came down for a visit, he made some remark about how when I go to the tournament next year, I should be the official MILF of King of Fighters. I had to look up what that meant, and at first, I wanted to smack him, but the more I think about it, it would probably be flattering to be considered a MILF."

"What does that word mean?" Andy asked her. After Mai explained it, he simply shrugged. "Well, I can't be mad at Joe for saying that. It's technically true."

"I know, right?" Mai said. "Unlike Pamela Anderson, I would actually bring style and grace to MILF-dom. Plus, I don't need a stunt double to do my fighting for me."

Andy laughed. "Well, Mai, I can honestly say that there will never come a day where I won't want to fuck you."

"Really?" Mai edged closer to him. "Not even three months from now, when we're well into the third trimester, and I'm waddling around the dojo with my huge pregnant gut sticking out?"

Andy shrugged. "No, I'd still do you."

"And you'd still do me even sixty years from now, when we're both toothless and senile, with hair growing out of our ears, and my tits and ass are sagging all over the place?"

"Yup, even then."

Mai giggled. "Damn, Andy, you are a freak! And I _like _it."

Andy turned to her then, wrapped his arms around Mai, and planted a passionate kiss on her lips. Mai eagerly returned the kiss, accepting his tongue and offering him her own, while she began to stroke his back with both hands.

Just when Andy tried to cup her breast through the fabric of her shirt, however, Mai forced herself to pull away from him. "Let's finish this later, okay, Andy?" Mai said as she took a calming breath. "I want to see how the tournament ends first."

Andy took a deep breath, as well, and settled back on the couch. "I'll hold you to it."

Mai giggled again. "You'd better."

Shortly after that, the commercial break ended, and the next match was announced: Blue Mary Ryan vs. Yuri Sakazaki. Mai had nothing witty to say to that. "I'm not sure who to root for, Andy. I mean, they're both my sisters, and I've been through a lot with each of them. I've... got nothing to say."

Andy reached for a handful of popcorn. "This should be over soon," he remarked. "Yuri is tiny. Mary can get her into a submission hold in record time."

Her husband's remark helped Mai come to a decision easily. "Nah, if anything, her size will help her evade Mary's giant, clumsy arms more easily."

The match started shortly after that, and it turned out to be very close. After twenty minutes, it looked like Mary had Yuri pinned down (though it had taken a LOT for the blonde woman to get to that point), but Yuri somehow managed to wrench free. It was so fast, neither Andy or Mai were exactly sure what just happened.

Mary came at her again, but was uncoordinated from the hits she'd taken. Yuri managed to connect with her Hien Hou'oukyaku, which dropped Mary to the ground. But then something interesting happened. Though Mary was down for the count, it soon became apparent that Yuri had twisted her ankle in getting out of that last hold. Executing her special attack had then thrown gasoline on the fire. The karate girl was also on the ground, unable to stand due to the excruciating pain she was in.

"Come on, Yuri, get up!" Mai shouted at the TV as the timer ticked down. "Focus! You can do it! Block that pain out for five seconds, girl, just long enough to stand!" But even through the TV screen and the tight purple fabric of Yuri's leggings, Mai could see how swollen the ankle was, and she winced in sympathy.

In the end, neither fighter could stand up before the timer hit zero, resulting in a draw. A few moments after that, Andy and Mai watched as Mary finally managed to stand, walked over to Yuri, and helped her get to her feet. The two women then hugged each other, and made their way out of the combat zone together, Mary supporting her friend while Yuri hopped on one leg.

"Wow, that is so sweet!" Mai said with a tear in her eye. "Isn't that sweet, Andy?" Andy simply nodded, and reached for more popcorn.

After another commercial break, it was time for the deciding match. As both Terry Bogard and King entered the combat area, so many flashbulbs went off in the stands at the same time that the cameramen had to adjust their white balance.

This was it: the deciding match of the tournament. The Lone Wolf vs. the First Lady of Muay Thai. Both of them were experienced, both of them street-savvy, both of them deadly weapons.

The announcer stood in the center of the ring as Terry and King took up their stances on opposite sides of him. The man was actually sweating a little as he walked over to Terry, and asked: "Any thoughts before we begin?"

Terry shrugged as he adjusted his cap. "I've taken the gold before. So whatever happens here, I have no regrets."

In the TV room of the dojo, Andy Bogard laughed. "You're a rotten liar, bro. And you look smaller on TV. But still, I'll root for you."

Almost as if he had heard that remark, Terry finished by saying: "But that doesn't mean I won't give one hundred and ten percent."

"That's not a real thing you can give!" Mai chided the TV.

The announcer then held the mike over to King, who said: "If my good friend in Japan is watching right now, and I have a strong feeling she is, I just want her to know she's on this team in spirit. And I promise I won't permanently damage her brother-in-law."

"Aw, thanks, King!" Mai responded to the TV. "But you don't have to worry. Terry can take punishment."

With that, the announcer retreated to a safe distance before shouting the start of the match. Terry and King immediately began to circle each other with their arms raised defensively. King's movements were wiry, almost catlike, while Terry was a bit less graceful, but no less agile. Dead silence emanated from the television as the spectators all watched with bated breath, just like Andy and Mai in their home, waiting for someone to land the first hit...

...Suddenly, there was a thunderous crash that seemed to come from over King and Terry's heads, then a bright burst of light erupted between them, throwing both of them backwards. It was unclear what happened after that, because the image cut to a technical difficulties screen.

"_WHAT THE FUCK?_" Mai shouted at the screen. "What was that? What just happened...?"

"I... don't know," Andy replied. "Maybe it was the world-threatening evil that always shows up at the end of these tournaments?"

Mai was on her feet now, fuming as she paced back and forth. "But it always waits until after the finals are done with before it rears its ugly head! Now, for this tournament, when both our teams make it to the finals, it decides to come _early?_ God dammit!"

"Mai..." Andy raised a hand warily.

"Andy, you've been telling me to calm down all night! If you say it one more time, you're sleeping on the couch!"

Andy flinched away a little. "Yes, dear," he said quietly. "I'm just... worried about what might be happening over there."

At hearing that, Mai's expression softened, and she sat back down on the sofa next to her husband. "Oh, Andy," she said as she placed her hands on his lap. "I'm sorry. You're right. I mean, the evil non-human entity that always shows up at King of Fighters may have just crashed into the stadium, and I'm angry because the match got interrupted? How could I be so selfish?"

"Pregnancy hormones?" Andy ventured, placing an arm around his wife.

Mai leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Yeah, I'll blame it on that."

Andy gave a nervous laugh. "But... you did have a point. The evil has never been early before. Why did it pick this year?"

"I don't know," Mai answered. "But... now I'm worried. I mean, in the past, we've always been there at the tournament, fighting along with everyone else. But now we're across the ocean, and we have no way of knowing what's going on over there. All we can do is wait for news. I just... feel so helpless. I don't like that."

"Me neither," said Andy. "Let's see if we can find some news on another channel." He picked up the remote and began to flip through the channels. Unfortunately, they didn't learn much. Just that everyone had been evacuated from the stadium, including the press (for their own safety), and the reporters outside could only say that they had no information other than the sounds of pitched battle going on inside. Andy decided to turn off the TV after that, and did his best to comfort his wife.

He started by trying to remind her of tournaments past, how things always got hairy but everyone always made it through. Eventually, this turned into reminiscing about their other adventures together. After an hour passed with no news, Mai got up and took a walk around the dojo. Eventually, she found herself outside, on the banks of the pond that she used to go swimming in on summer nights when she was teenager. Goldfish drifted lazily close to its glassy surface, and a box turtle rested on a large rock in the shallows, enjoying the warm air of August. As she gazed out over the water, Mai folded her hands and whispered a prayer for the safety of her family and friends.

After a while, Mai went back inside and rejoined her husband in the TV room. They checked all the news channels again, but could find nothing. Another agonizing hour passed, then the cordless phone on the table rang. Andy snatched it up and pressed the green button. "Moshi moshi," he spoke into it.

"Hey, Andy," spoke the familiar voice of Terry Bogard. "Did I wake you?"

"No," Andy responded. "We were watching the tournament live." He covered the mouthpiece and said to Mai: "It's Terry." He then held the phone out between them so both he and Mai could put an ear to it.

"Told ya you wouldn't wake them!" They heard the faint voice of Blue Mary say on the other end.

"Terry!" Mai spoke into the receiver. "What's happened over there? Is everyone..."

"Everyone is fine, Mai," Terry assured his sister-in-law. "We're banged up, but we stopped the evil, like we always do."

"YES!" Mai shouted, pumping her fist in the air, which was followed a few seconds later by a kick from the baby. "I know, that's good news," Mai whispered to her stomach. "Your aunts and uncles are okay!"

"Do you know what it was?" Andy spoke into the phone.

"Um... don't think anyone bothered to get its name this year," Terry answered. "I don't think it matters though. These villains are all the same. Blah blah, the human race must die or be enslaved, blah blah..."

"You got that right," Mai said. "Who else is there with you?"

"Just Mary. I'm actually calling from a hospital bed."

"Oh." Mai put a hand to her mouth. "Are you..."

"I'm fine," Terry assured her. "I broke some ribs and bruised a kidney when that thing first came through the ceiling and knocked me and King out of the zone. I also needed a few stitches after the fight was done. King's here, too, a few rooms down from me."

"What's the room number?" Mai asked. "I want to call her after we're done."

"It's 326," they heard Mary say. "But you may want to wait a little. I just came from her room, and she was asleep when I left."

"Okay, I'll call her later. And how's Yuri? Her ankle looked really painful."

"She's here, too," Mary said. "Same room as King, actually, but her foot is buried under a dozen ice packs right now, and she's taken some Hydrocodone. So she probably won't be lucid if you tried to talk to her."

Mai laughed. "Yeah, probably not."

Andy then spoke into the receiver: "So, Terry, now that we know everyone is okay, what was the outcome at the tournament? Between your team and the Women's Team, I mean."

"Oh yeah..." Terry paused for a moment. "I was waiting to hear from the judge's panel at KoF before I called you. Since the score was two to two before King and I started our match, then we were both thrown out of bounds by that thing that crashed down, and are unable to continue now due to medical reasons... it's been declared a draw."

"Aw, nuts!" Mai pouted. "We were _this_ close to seeing that my team is superior. Well, at least everyone is all right."

"So, the money's gotta be split six ways, huh?" Andy remarked. "That's still not a bad piece of change."

"Yeah," Terry agreed. "I can fly Mary and me out to Japan in style for the baby shower."

"We're still going to that, huh?" They heard Terry's wife say unenthusiastically.

"Yes, Mary, you are!" Mai said. "You're my sister. It wouldn't be the same without you."

"Oh, I'm sure it would," Mary said with a nervous laugh.

"Well, look," Terry then interjected. "I know it's almost sunrise where you are, so I'm sure you're tired. I just wanted to call you and Andy so you wouldn't be worrying about what happened at the tournament. We'll let you go so you can sleep now."

"Okay," said Andy. "Thanks for calling."

"Yeah," Mai added. "Take care and get well soon!"

"Bye!"

After Andy hung up, there was a moment of silence between him and his wife. Then he ventured: "So, a draw. Imagine that."

"Yeah," Mai said with a nod. "Too bad we didn't get to see them actually fight. But in a way, I'm also relieved. The next time our teams make it that far, we can actually be there for it. Then things will be different."

The two of them then rose from the couch, and turned off both the TV and the lights in the room. When they were standing in the hall, Mai flashed her husband a sly grin. "You know, after all that excitement, I'm actually not sleepy just yet, and it's Sunday, so it's not like we need to be up early. You still wanna have some fun, Andy, baby?"

Andy smiled and kissed Mai deeply on the lips. "Absolutely," he said after coming up for air."

"Great! Let's do it, then." With that, Mai took him by the hand and started to lead Andy towards their bedroom.

* * *

ADDITIONAL NOTES

So, a quick shout-out to Rex Madison. The idea of having both Andy and Mai's teams get to the finals when neither one of them could fight in the tournament that year was inspired by his fic "Broken." If you haven't read it, you should.

Also wanted to do a shout-out to RinoaDestiny. Before I read one of her reviews, I had never heard of "pregnancy brain." But I've googled it, and apparently it's real. I'm glad I found an excuse to subject Mai to it.

And I hope the draw didn't feel like a cop-out. But I just didn't want to seem like I was playing favorites. Plus, I love both of those teams, which made it too difficult to choose. Let me know in a review who you think would have won.


	9. More Pregnancy Brain

So, I've been working on a different chapter, one involving Mai's baby shower. That was supposed to be the next one to go up, and then I got this idea, and couldn't resist posting it. Not only is it an exercise in lowering my word count, but I wanted to do a little more with the "pregnancy brain" idea, and this is something new for me, since it's a pure dialogue exchange. I hope you like!

EDIT: Made some changes as of 04/30/2019, just so I'm in compliance with the FF guidelines.

All characters are the property of SNK/Playmore. I don't own them, the video games or the anime.

* * *

_Chapter Nine: More Pregnancy Brain_

"Andy, honey, where are you?"

"In the nursery, Mai. Putting the bookcase together."

"Okay." A few moments later, Mai appeared in the doorway. "You need a hand?"

Andy looked up from his work, gave her a smile. "Nah, I'm almost done."

"Okay," Mai said with a nod, and started down the hall. Andy returned to his work. A minute later, Mai was in the doorway again. "Andy?"

"Yeah, Mai?"

"You need help with the bookcase?"

"You already asked me, Mai. I said I was fine."

"I did?"

"Yes, Mai."

Mai clenched her teeth in annoyance. "God damn it! Andy, I feel like this is getting worse."

Her husband gave a small shrug. "Oh... I hadn't noticed."

"Andy, you're not just giving a tactful husband answer, are you?"

Andy sighed, and stood up to face her. "Yeah, Mai, I am. Sorry."

She smiled, walked over to him, and kissed his cheek. "No, it's okay this time. Keep doing that. Um... Andy?"

"Yeah, Mai?"

"Can we order yakisoba for dinner tonight?"

"You don't want to give me a cooking lesson?"

"No... you're doing well, but... I think I want to put that project on hold until after the baby's born."

"So do I. Okay, yakisoba it is."

Mai kissed him again, then turned and left the nursery. Andy got back down on one knee and reopened the assembly instructions for the bookcase.

A minute later, his wife was back in the doorway. "Andy?"

"Yeah, Mai?"

"Can we get yakisoba for dinner tonight?"

"I said yes, Mai."

"I asked you already, didn't I? Damn it, that's like the tenth time today! I cannot _wait _to pop this kid out, then maybe I can get my brain back!"

Andy buried his face in the instructions, so Mai could not see his smile. The ninja girl's brow furrowed in annoyance. "Andy, are you laughing at me?"

"No, Mai, of course not. I would never laugh at your pregnancy brain."

"Good. Because that would get you exiled to the couch."

Andy, having composed himself, looked up again, eager to change the subject. "So, what type of yakisoba do you want, Mai?"

"Whatever type of organ meat they have. Heart, lung, liver, tripe... it doesn't matter. I just want organ meat. And see if they can put a soft-boiled egg on top."

Andy frowned. "Um... tripe?"

"Yeah, why?"

The frown quickly inverted, and Andy shook his head. "Nothing. It... wouldn't be the weirdest thing you've eaten. Let me just finish up in here and I'll hike down to the restaurant."

Mai smiled back, and once more left the nursery. She took a few steps, then Andy heard her stop suddenly.

"Andy..."

"Yeah, Mai?"

"Are you _sure _you're not laughing? Because it sounds like you are..."

* * *

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

And there you have it. Once again, thanks to RinoaDestiny for making me aware that pregnancy brain is a real thing.

Now, it's back to the work on Chapter Ten (formerly Chapter Nine, until I got this idea). Up next: Blue Mary vs. the Baby Shower!


	10. Baby Shower of Doom

All characters are the property of SNK/Playmore. I don't own them, the video games or the anime.

* * *

_Chapter Ten: Baby Shower of Doom_

**November 10th, 2001**

It was early afternoon, and Andy Bogard sat in a kushiyaki restaurant in downtown Mino. He shared the table with his brother Terry, and their friends Joe Higashi, Ryo Sakazaki, and Robert Garcia. Up at the dojo, he knew that Mai's baby shower was underway, which was being attended by most of Mai's old teammates from the Women Fighters Team, as well as several people Mai knew from around town.

Having gotten a glimpse of how the dojo was decorated, Andy was relieved that Mai had at least allowed the men to go off and do something else until the shower was over. Though Andy couldn't help but notice the hug that Terry had given his wife, Blue Mary Ryan, right before they'd left. "You've stood your ground against men like Rugal and Nightmare Geese," Terry had said softly to her. "You can handle this."

"You still owe me big for this, Bogard," Mary had said in reply, and kissed his cheek.

With little else to do in a small town like Mino, Andy had led the men to a restaurant he'd grown fond of. Now they were sitting around, talking while drinking beers and eating grilled meat skewers served over udon noodles.

"One nice thing about the outcome of this year's tournament," Terry remarked to the rest of the table. "I didn't have to borrow money from Garcia for airfare out here. After taking an international flight for our honeymoon, Mary and I had been strapped for cash. But using some of my share of the prize, I was able to afford first class tickets, to make the trip a little easier for Mary."

"Happy wife and all that?" Robert asked him.

"You bet your ass," Terry answered. "She's really been dreading having to come to Mai's shower."

"What I don't get," Ryo said to the rest of the table. "Is why our wives and girlfriends needed us to come along with them to Japan for this."

"It's a plot," Joe explained around a mouthful of noodles. "They're up there right now, eating cake or whatever, probably telling Mai how jealous they all are while they take turns feeling the kid kick her. It's gonna make them all baby-crazy, and then tonight, when we're alone in our hotel rooms with them, they're gonna give us 'the talk.' All about how, oh babies are so cute, and wouldn't it be wonderful to have one of our own someday? And they're gonna try to rope each and every one of us into it. I guarantee you!"

"Well, not me," Terry said with a shrug. "If anything, Mary and I will be splitting a six-pack of Kirin and trying to find some bloody martial arts movie with English subtitles to watch, in order to try and get the taste of baby shower out of her mouth. That, or we'll be screwing like jack-rabbits. Whatever she wants to do. Either one of those is fine with me."

"Lucky bastard," Robert said to him. "Yuri and I will _definitely _be having that talk."

"King and I will probably be watching the kickboxing semi-finals on ESPN3 in our room tonight," said Ryo. "We've never talked about kids before, and I don't think they're really a priority for her at the moment, what with tournaments and running her business."

"Kee!" Joe swore in the Thai language. "The semi-finals _are _tonight, aren't they? Well, now I have to find an excuse to sneak down to the hotel bar so I can catch the highlights. Lilly would never let me watch that in our room!"

"Well, if you can get away from Lilly, you can join us in our room," said Ryo. "But you'll have to BYOB. _And _you'll have to sit on the floor. _And _be ready to get kicked out once King and I feel like moving onto... other things."

Andy laughed at his friend. "Joe, I still don't understand: given how much you used to play the field, how _did_ you wind up going steady with a pacifist?"

Joe laughed back, and took a long pull at his beer. "Long story, Andy, my friend. Too long for these surroundings. I'd rather tell you how relieved I am that you seem to be doing well. I was sure Mai would have eaten your head by now."

Andy gave him a shrug. "She's tried. There are days when I regret knocking her up. But I just keep trying to tell myself that I can never know what she's going through. And besides, every time she has an outburst, she always apologizes eventually. Sometimes it takes a few days, and sometimes I sleep on the couch, not because she's exiled me, but just because _I _think it's safer. But it's like she always says: our love will see us through. I always wondered why she said that, but I've been seeing it in action lately."

"Has Mai been making you watch romantic comedies, Andy?" Robert asked the blonde ninja.

"Speak for yourself, dude," Ryo chided his friend. "Remember last year, when my sister dragged you to see 'What Women Want'? When you came home from that date, I had to sit there and hold your hand while you did a few shots of grappa and kept asking what the hell happened to the guy from 'Lethal fucking Weapon.' Your exact words."

"Speaking of hand-holding," Joe said to the others. "Look who just showed up."

Everyone turned to the restaurant's entrance and saw Mary Ryan standing there, looking even worse than she had after her ordeal in the 1999 King of Fighters tournament. She spotted their table and started to make her way towards them.

She didn't get far before a hostess stopped her. "Please, miss," she said in Japanese, pointing at Mary's feet.

Mary glanced down and realized her mistake. "Ah, gomennasai," she said with a bow, and then stepped back over to the entryway and removed her boots and socks. She also doffed her jacket and hung it on one of the wall pegs. That done, she made her way back to the low table where her husband and his friends were gathered, and knelt down on a cushion to the left of Terry.

"You escaped," Terry remarked as he gave her a kiss.

"Got off for good behavior," Mary said with a smirk. "Mai took me aside and thanked me for coming, said it meant the world to her, and I'd done a great job feigning interest, so I was free to go if I wanted. A few of the girls and I are gonna take her out to eat tomorrow."

"And you just abandoned King?" Ryo asked the detective.

Mary shrugged. "When I snuck out, she was whipping up virgin margaritas. Unless she's a better actress than me, I think she was having a good time. Right now, though, I need something the opposite of virgin. _And _I need meat. That dainty crap they were serving didn't fill me up at all."

A server had made his way back to their table, and asked Mary in Japanese if he could help her.

"Yes, you can," Mary answered in the same language. "I'll have two grilled beef skewers, a bowl of udon noodles with some fried pork belly, and as soon as you can, bring me a sake bomb, please."

"Um, bring me one, too," Joe said to the server.

"You still have a drink!" Andy pointed out.

"Yeah, well, I'm not gonna let anyone do a sake bomb alone," Joe shot back.

Mary gave him a smirk. "You have your moments, Higashi. Not many, but you've got 'em."

Terry laughed, and put an arm around his wife's shoulder. "So, anyway... how are you holding up?"

"I'm _barely _holding up," Mary answered him. "I'd rather do another round with Nightmare Geese than sit through another baby shower." Thankfully, the sake bombs were brought over rather quickly: two glasses of beer with a lattice of chopsticks draped over the top of each, upon which rested a much smaller shot glass of sake. As soon as Mary received hers, she did not wait for Joe. She slammed the table with her fist, knocking the shot glass off its precarious perch into her beer glass. She then pounded the drink in near record time. "Another!" She snapped before the server had a chance to walk away.

"Was it _that _bad?" Robert asked her.

Mary's green eyes took on a haunted look. "There was _so _much teal blue and pink on the walls. I think... I permanently damaged my vision. And the games at these fucking things: we had to fish safety pins out of a bowl of rice. Seriously, why?... and then there was the fact that Yuri, Athena and Chizuru kept taking turns feeling the baby kick, and would _not _stop gushing about how _radiant _Mai looks!"

"Well, she does look radiant," Andy said.

Mary laughed at her brother-in-law. "Andy, your wife's not here, so you can be candid. Admit it: She looks like she's smuggling an entire watermelon under her dress."

"That, or an anaconda who's eaten a cow, and needs to digest it for the next six months," Joe offered.

By now, Mary had gotten her second drink, and she clinked it against Joe's. "I think I like mine better," she said.

"Well, the reason she looks like that," Andy told them, "is because she's growing a life inside of her, one that I helped create. So to me, she looks more beautiful than ever."

For a moment, everyone at the table regarded Andy with a sense of quiet admiration. Terry more than the others, as he knew all too well how his brother had once acted around Mai. Finally, Mary raised her glass in his direction. "You're alright, Andy," she said with a nod.

"I second," said Terry. "Dad would be proud of who you've become."

Andy was starting to blush at this point, so Joe changed the subject. "So, Mary," he asked the detective. "What other games did they play at this thing?"

"Your teams fought each other in the last tournament," Robert said. "Do you really wanna go there with her?"

"We should know what to expect, in case our own women ever get knocked up," Ryo said with a shrug. "And Mary's got the intel."

Mary's food arrived at that moment, and she was silent until she had devoured at least one of the beef skewers. Then she started using the stick's pointed end to pick her teeth as she spoke. "Well, for some reason, when every guest arrived, they had to put balloons up their shirts, so everyone looked like Mai."

"But your shirt's not designed for that," Terry pointed out.

Mary glanced down at her crop top for a moment. "Yeah, it's not. That's why they taped my balloon in place. Of course, I managed to pop it shortly after I sat down. I had to 'accidentally' drop my fork about ten times to make it happen, but I got it."

"Accidents suck," Terry said with a laugh, and he and his wife clinked their glasses. Mary then started on her second skewer.

"So anyway," Mary went on with her mouth full. "Another game we played was a variant of 'pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey.' They took a large, blown-up profile picture of Mai with her belly sticking out, and taped it to the wall. Then we had to try and pin a paper cut-out of a baby to her stomach while blindfolded. _That _actually made me chuckle. You could tell right away which guests had martial arts training and which didn't. People like me, Chizuru, Li, King, Yuri... we all got it dead center on the stomach. Everyone else... went wide."

Everyone around the table laughed. "So _that's _why Mai had me take that picture of her a few days ago," said Andy.

"That doesn't sound so bad," said Robert.

"That was just to lull us into a false sense of security," the detective told him. "Because then we played this game where candy bars were put inside of newborn diapers and microwaved. _Then _we passed the damn things around and we all had to taste the melted candy and try to guess what it was."

This got a much different reaction from the table. Most were shuddering in revulsion, and also reaching for their drinks for comfort. Joe had been in the process of stuffing noodles in his mouth and almost gagged. "Hey, I'm eating here!" He told Mary.

"Cry me a river," Mary retorted. "You weren't there. I was." She then took a long pull at her sake bomb.

Joe gave another shudder. "Whoever invented baby showers should be drug out into the street and shot."

"I disagree," Mary told him. "A gun would be too quick."

"Well, before you left," Ryo asked her, trying to lighten things up a little. "Did you at least get to see Mai's teammates give her the card?"

Mary nodded. "I did. That was actually pretty cool."

Andy raised an eyebrow at this. "Card?"

"Yuri got this great idea," Robert started to explain, then Ryo cut him off.

"I helped her come up with it," Ryo said proudly.

Robert punched his friend on the arm. "You gave her a lift to the Hallmark. And that's all you did. So anyway, Andy, since you and Mai couldn't be at King of Fighters this year, Yuri and King bought this oversized 'Mom-to-Be' card from Hallmark, and then spent a lot of time at the tournament trying to get as many fighters as possible to sign it."

"Most of them," Ryo added. "They didn't even bother asking some people, like Iori."

"That's probably a smart idea," Andy said with a nod.

"I signed it after a bunch of other people had," said Ryo. "They wrote some interesting stuff. Yamazaki asked if you were sure you didn't want to name the baby after him."

Andy blew out a loud breath. "He's never gonna drop that, is he?"

"Yuri also censored Billy Kane's remarks," Robert added.

"That's probably for the best," said Andy.

"Somehow, they got Leona to sign it," said Mary. "Her message was really interesting. She wished you and Mai luck on your new eighteen-year mission."

Joe laughed and drank his beer. "That's the Ikaris for you."

Robert scratched his chin and gazed thoughtfully at the ceiling. "Well, if you think about it, I guess raising a kid is like a mission."

"I could get behind that," said Mary. "First mission objective: get it to sit upright. Second objective: get it eating solid food. Third, get it crawling. Fourth, get it to walk. Fifth, get it to stop pooping itself. And so on." She picked up her chopsticks and started on her side dish.

Most of the table was laughing at Mary's comments. "You're destroying a lot of the romanticism of pregnancy, Mary," Andy remarked.

"Sorry, Andy," Mary said around a mouthful of pork belly. "It's just... I know that Mai has always wanted kids, and that's fine. Me... I just don't get it. Romance has never been my thing. If I ever do decide I want kids, I'd rather adopt. Adoption won't murder my vag."

"Very nicely put," Terry laughed. "It was tactful."

"I thought so, too," Mary responded.

"No, it's okay, Mary," Andy told his sister-in-law. "I mean, so far, Mai's perspective is the only one that I've had, and when her hormones aren't wreaking havoc on her, she's been on Cloud Nine throughout every step of the pregnancy. Some of it... has been hard for me to wrap my brain around. I mean, she cried when she saw the images from her first ultrasound, and I didn't think those images looked like anything. It was just a little bean-shaped blob with a stubby tail."

Everyone at the table was leaning forward now, listening intently. "I mean, I love Mai and want to make her happy, and I know she's always wanted children. I wouldn't have married her if I wasn't prepared to give her that. But I've still had a few doubts. Mainly, I've been afraid that I won't be a good father. But hearing your thoughts on raising kids, like there are objectives to it... it reminds me of my own philosophy on how some things in life are a lot like fighting... you study the other guy and learn the right combinations. Maybe I can look at parenting the same way."

There was a long moment of silence. Then Terry picked up his beer glass and raised it at his brother. "You're gonna be fine, Andy," he said. "We had a great role model."

"I'll never forget that," Andy said, and clinked his glass to Terry's.

"Glad I could help, Andy," Mary told him with a laugh, and also clinked her glass with him.

"So, not trying to break up a moment or anything," Ryo said after another minute. "But did you get a present for the baby, Mary?"

Mary's cheeks started to redden, and she took another sip of her bomb. "Yeah," was all she said.

"Really?" The Kyokugen heir went on. "Because I can't picture you going into a Baby Gap."

"She didn't," Terry said. "She stood outside it for about thirty minutes, trying to steel herself to go in, like it was some sort of secret Orochi cult hideout."

"And in the end, I went somewhere else," Mary finished as she picked up a pork belly slice with her chopsticks and dunked it in soy sauce. "And bought a pair of fingerless leather gloves. Now, they didn't have infant sizes, for some reason..."

"Why do you sound surprised?" Robert asked her.

Mary ignored him and went on: "So I got the smallest ones they had. But it'll still be a few years before the kid can wear them."

The rest of the table started laughing. "I wish I could have seen Mai's face when she unwrapped those," said Joe.

"I'd have liked to have seen that, too, actually," said Andy.

"It's a practical gift," Terry said, defending his wife. "I mean, you'll be training the kid in Mai's family's ninjitsu when they're old enough, they'll need _something _to protect their hands. And now they've got it."

"Exactly," Mary said with a shrug.

A short time later, the cell phone in the pocket of Andy's jeans started to ring. After Sokaku had attacked the dojo, Mai had told Andy that she wanted the two of them to get cell phones in case another emergency came up. The blond ninja pulled the phone out and flipped it open. "Hello?" He spoke into it.

"Hi, Andy!" He heard his wife's familiar voice on the other end. "You having fun with the guys?"

"Yup," Andy answered her. "How's the shower?"

"Lots of fun! And I think we've got enough diapers now to last our first month. Did Mary find you?"

"Yeah. She's here with us now. We're all having lunch and drinks at Kawasen's."

"Ooh! Can you bring me back something?"

"Sure. What do you want?"

"An order of their spiciest udon noodles with the grilled miso salmon? And get some of that chili paste on the side."

"Um..." Andy spoke hesitantly. "Should you be eating spicy food right now, Mai?"

Mai giggled. "Andy, I'm a Shiranui ninja. We _wield _fire in battle. Trust me, I can handle spice."

Andy laughed. "Okay. I'll get you an order to go before we leave."

"Thanks, baby. We're almost done here, but take your time and come back whenever you're ready. Love you!"

"Love you too," Andy said, and hung up. He then couldn't help but notice that the rest of the table was either trying to hold back snickers or was making kissy faces at him. Joe made a motion in his direction of a whip being cracked, and uttered the sound effect.

"Oh, you're one to talk," Andy chided the kick-boxer. "Mister 'I have to sneak out of my hotel room to watch the kick-boxing semi-finals.' And besides, I love my wife. I don't care what anyone else thinks about that. I mean, how could anyone hate her?"

"I'll give you that," said Joe. "Mai and I don't always get along, but she's hard to hate."

"You'd have to be a Sokaku," said Terry, and the rest of the table laughed, as Andy and Mai had called them all to tell them about the late monk shortly after Mai had gotten out of the hospital.

Robert Garcia then cleared this throat as he raised his beer glass. "To our women," he said, and the rest of the men at the table raised their own glasses and echoed him. Mary then raised her glass and added: "...because you'd be lost without us."

"Ain't that the truth?" Terry said, and put an arm around his wife.

Mary took a sip of her drink, and then turned back to her brother-in-law. "So, Andy... how is pregnancy treating both you and Mai?"

"We already asked him this," Ryo told her.

"Well, some of us weren't here, because we were busy escaping from purgatory," Mary shot back at him.

"It has its ups and downs," Andy answered. "Lately, Mai has been repeating herself a lot."

"In what way?" Mary asked.

"Well, she'll ask me something," Andy explained. "And I'll answer her. Then a minute later, she'll ask the same thing, having completely forgotten that I just answered her. Some girl in one of her maternity chat rooms says it's called 'pregnancy brain.' Apparently, it happens to lots of pregnant women."

"So, it's like the baby is sucking energy from her brain, or something?" Joe laughed. "That sounds almost like a horror movie."

"Technically, a fetus _is _a parasite, when you think about it," Robert pointed out.

Terry laughed now, too. "And I thought Mary was un-romantic about all this."

"No, Garcia's right," said Mary. "It does fit the textbook definition of what parasites are. So it's not a stretch to call it that."

Andy sighed and quickly drained his beer. "I'm sorry I brought this up." He did his best to ignore them, but for the next half-hour, until people started asking for their checks, the rest of the table was having a lively conversation about how Mai was harboring a parasite.

* * *

**November 11th, 2001**

"I gotta tell you, girls," Mai said to the others seated with her. "I appreciate you taking me out, but after this, I think I'm gonna be staying in the dojo until it's time to have the baby. That staircase out front has gotten a _lot _harder to move up and down." She reached down and gently rubbed her pregnant belly (which had more than doubled in size since August) through the fabric of her maternity dress.

She was seated in a restaurant with Yuri, King, Mary, and Xiangfei, and the five women were enjoying brunch together. Athena and Chizuru had gone back to Tokyo after the shower was done yesterday, as they had prior obligations in their professional lives. Lilly Kane was off spending time with Joe, as she usually only got to see him in person about once a month due to their relationship being long distance (her laundry business was in South Town).

So Mai was grateful for this chance to spend some time with the women she'd come to consider her sisters, even if it _had _been a physical struggle getting down the stairs to the minivan King had rented. "If Andy's home when we get back, I might need him to carry me back up to the dojo."

"I'm sure you'll hate that," Mary said sarcastically.

"Well, I like it when Andy is chivalrous," Mai said. "I think it's cute. Just... there's a difference between him doing something because he wants to be a gentleman, and him doing something just because he thinks I can't do it myself. And in this case, I really _can't _do it myself, but I don't like to be reminded of that. I mean, my whole life, I have _never _gotten winded climbing those stairs. Until recently." She picked at the remains of the souffle pancakes and strawberries on her plate. "That's why I'll be glad when this baby is born. Not just because I'll finally be able to hold it in my arms, but also because I can start training again."

"I don't think I could ever go without training for as long as you have," King remarked, as she sipped her mimosa. "I guess that's another reason I'm hesitant to have kids. At least, for right now."

"The hardest thing for me would be giving up certain foods," said Xiangfei.

"Funny thing about that is, you already eat enough for a crowd," Mary pointed out.

"It's a talent," the other girl said with a smirk. The meal was more or less winding down by now to the point where everyone was picking at their plates, chatting, and drinking their mimosas, except for Xiangfei. The kung-fu artist had just taken yet another piece of toast off the platter in the center of the table, and was stacking it with a poached egg, cold smoked fish, and pickled cabbage.

Mai picked up her own drink, which was just straight orange juice, and tipped the glass in Xiangfei's direction. "Easy, girl. That thing gets any higher, how are you gonna fit it in your mouth?"

"Like I said," Xiangfei answered her. "Talent. I'll manage. I always do."

Sure enough, a few moments later, the rather impressive dagwood that Xiangfei constructed had disappeared down her throat. "I'll never get tired of watching that," Mary said, and sipped her own drink (she'd opted for straight champagne, without the juice).

"This dirty joke pretty much writes itself," Yuri remarked.

Xiangfei laughed, and brushed several large crumbs off of her cheongsam. "You're all just jealous." Then she grabbed another piece of toast and began to build anew.

"I gotta say, Mai," Yuri told her friend. "Just as I was finally getting comfortable with my own self-image, you've gone and made me envious of you again."

Mai reached across the table and patted the karate girl's hand. "Aw, Yuri, don't get discouraged. you'll have the same thing as me someday. Unless... does Robert not want...?"

Yuri shook her head. "No, no, it's nothing like that. He and I talked about kids and our future last night, and... I got the sense that he is gonna propose to me eventually, but... it might take another few years. My dad is just starting to get lukewarm to the idea of him as my boyfriend. I think Robbie wants to wait until my dad gets just a little warmer before he asks the old man for permission to marry me. I mean, I know that Robert doesn't want to offend him, because dad was the one who saw potential in him, and took him in all those years ago, when no other sensei in South Town would. So I know Robbie and I will have kids someday. But it might take a while."

Mai gave her friend a slightly mischievous smile. "Well, Yuri, you _are _a godparent. Next time Andy and I have to come to South Town, we can arrange for you to spend some time babysitting the kid. Maybe if Takuma sees you playing with our little one, it might warm him up to the idea of grandkids more quickly..."

Yuri gave Mai a similar grin and swirled her mimosa. "Sounds like a plan, Mai. I'll hold you to it."

"When's the next time you think you might visit?" King asked.

"We'll definitely be there for the tournament next year," said Mai. "I intend to be back at both my pre-pregnancy weight and fighting shape well before then. I'm looking forward to breaking single men's hearts again. We had a good reason for missing the tournament this year, but I bet all those guys missed out on having me there to photograph."

"Not really," Mary remarked. "Most men are fickle. They found other things to drool over. I mean, Athena was there, and she's always popular with horny single dudes..."

"There was a newcomer this year who also seemed really popular," King added. "I can't recall her name, though. Some busty blond bimbo with an English accent who called herself a pirate queen..."

"Oh, right," Xiangfei said with a nod, around a mouth full of egg. "I know who you're talking about. She and her team got eliminated in the first round. What was her name...?"

"Bonne Jenet," said Mary. "I remember because it sounded fake. Even though she lost early on, she did stick around, and she was popular camera fodder. Which she seemed to enjoy."

Mai shrugged. "I didn't watch the preliminaries, but I do remember her being mentioned in the recaps by that panel of hacks before the Finals started. And they showed a picture. Whoever she is, she doesn't look like she has a lot of class. So I'll be bringing that back to King of Fighters next year."

"I don't know, Mai," King chided her. "The two of you might hit it off. You have some things in common."

"You got that right," said Xiangfei. "They both like attention, and they both hate clothes that actually work."

"That's true," said Yuri. "The whole time we were watching Jenet fight, I kept expecting her to fall out of her dress..."

Mai straightened up at hearing that. "Hey, I've told you. My outfit..."

"Is the traditional fighting uniform of the Shiranui kunoichi, and dates back to your ancestors," the rest of the table said in unison.

"Damn right!" Mai said. "And if this baby is a girl, I'll be sure they know their history!"

"I'm actually a little scared of that," said King.

"We all are," Mary assured her. They'd been trying to tease their friend, but Mai seemed to be taking it a little too seriously.

Mai decided to ignore them and change the subject. "So, anyway... what did you ladies do with your share of the prize money?"

"Got my parents a new car, to start with," said Xiangfei. "I also wanted to get Uncle Pai one, but he refused to let me. So I got a bunch of new, modern kitchen equipment for the restaurant, had a new vinyl floor put in too, since that carpet was pretty ratty, and I bought Uncle a laptop. I'm gonna show him how to make a website for the restaurant, and also how to update the site."

"Good luck with _that_," said Mai. "Still, you're staying on the cutting edge. That's smart."

"Well, I used most of it to wipe out my student loans," said Yuri. "But I set some aside for a special purpose."

Mai leaned forward a little. "Which was?"

"Well, it took about a month for me to recover from my injuries. Once I did, Robert and I took a vacation. This time, I paid for everything, not the other way around."

"Sounds romantic," Mai told her friend. "Where'd you go?"

"Spent a week in Italy," Yuri answered.

"Ooh, sounds _very _romantic. I may ask for more details later."

"I got Jean a new computer and a Playstation 2," said King. "And made a large deposit into his college trust fund. The rest is going towards expanding my business. There's a vacant building right next to the bar. I wanna see how much it would cost to rent the ground floor. I figure I'll knock some holes in the wall for doorways, renovate the empty room, turn it into a place people can reserve for larger gatherings: birthdays, retirement parties, wedding rehearsal dinners..."

"Awesome!" Mai said. "Good luck with that!"

"I made a large anonymous donation to a 9-11 relief fund," Mary said.

Mai said nothing in response, simply nodded. She knew that Mary had taken the terrorist attacks on American soil pretty hard. Largely because even though Mary was no longer a cop, she still felt a kinship with those who still wore the badge. Not to mention that Mary also knew what it felt like to lose people she loved to a terrorist attack, so she could truly sympathize with the victims' families. Mai remembered when Mary had called her a few days after the attacks because she'd desperately needed to vent and Terry was at work, how that had been the only time the ninja girl had ever heard her sister-in-law cry. Mai tried to be strong, but whether it was due to pregnancy hormones or the fact that she'd also needed to be a shoulder for Andy when he'd first heard about the attacks (though he'd found a home in Japan, Andy would always be an American at heart), Mai had wept along with Mary for the brave souls the world had lost on that day.

Mary then went on to say: "Terry and I are pooling the rest. We wanna find a bigger place to live in. Nothing fancy, we're just looking for some two-story townhome we can own free and clear. Some place with a garage for our bikes, at least two bedrooms, maybe three, two bath, a dining room, a fenced-in area out back where we can set up a grill, and a nice little patch of grass for Anton to roll in."

"Does Terry know how to grill?" Mai asked her.

Mary nodded, and sipped her drink. "Actually, he does. It's one of the only forms of cooking he's gotten really good at. He's been practicing using Ryo's grill, since obviously he can't grill in the apartment. But if we were in a place where we could buy our own grill..."

Mai reached over and gave Mary a pat on the arm. "Well, I hope you two find your dream home. It would be nice if we could stay with you when we came to visit, instead of checking into a hotel. You and Terry could also spend more time with your niece or nephew."

Mary gave a nervous laugh. "You really trust me with your kid? Because I don't..."

Mai giggled. "Andy and I wouldn't have made you and Terry the next of kin if I didn't trust you. Think of it as an assignment..."

Mary couldn't help but laugh at that. "God, _everyone_ knows my weak spot now."

"You and I are sisters, honey," said Mai. "That goes with the territory."

"Speaking of which," King took that moment to say. "Mai, we had another reason for wanting to do this with you today."

"Right," Yuri said with a nod. "We have something we want to give you. This is a gift for you, not the baby, which is why we didn't give it to you yesterday."

Mai sat back a little in her seat. "I'm intrigued."

"Well," Mary told her sister-in-law. "You had a good reason for not being at the tournament this year. We all know that you've always wanted children. But it's okay to admit: I'm sure you were annoyed that both your team and Andy's team got to the Finals this year, and you weren't there to share it."

"I'm glad I was able to serve on the Women's Team," said Xiangfei. "You and King saw potential in me a few years ago, and I'm grateful that I was asked back. I'm even more grateful that I've become friends with all of you as a result of that first year. But a part of me felt like you should have been there in that moment of glory. After all, you _were _one of the team's founders."

Mai gave them a nod. "Yeah, I'll admit. I mean, this baby is worth it, but it _was _a bit irksome to miss the tournament, especially with you girls in the Finals."

"Like I said," King told her friend, "You were still on the team in spirit. So we didn't want you to feel completely left out."

At hearing that, Mai raised her hands "Girls, please. I've told you more than once. The dojo is making enough money. We don't need you to give us a share of the prize."

"We know," said Yuri. "Just like we know that if we _did _do that, it would insult you. So we had this made for you instead." Yuri reached under her seat, procured a small paper bag, and passed it across the table to her friend.

"It's not tournament gold," said Mary. "But we think you'll like it."

Mai accepted the bag and reached her hand inside. Her fingers closed around something cold and metallic, and after she pulled it from the bag, Mai saw that it was a trophy. It was not from King of Fighters, but rather something that had been custom-made at a trophy shop. Mai looked down at the wooden base the gold-colored cup rested upon, in particular the metal placard fixed to it. The message on the placard was in Japanese characters, and read: TO MAI SHIRANUI-BOGARD. JAPAN'S NUMBER ONE KUNOICHI, TEAM MATE, AND FRIEND. WITH LOVE, FROM YOUR SISTERS.

When she reached the end, Mai felt her eyes start to water. "Oh, girls," she said, her voice cracking. "This is... it's just... it... this means more to me than anything I could ever win at King of Fighters. Thank you... thank you all so much! I love you!" It was getting harder for Mai to stand, so everyone at the table got up and walked to her seat, so Mai could give them each a hug.

After they were done, Mai dabbed her eyes with a napkin and set the trophy down next to her plate. She gave the handle of the cup a small pat with her fingers. "I know just where to put this. On a shelf in the nursery, so my baby has a constant reminder of how awesome its aunties are."

"Technically, Mary is the only aunt," King pointed out.

Mai shook her head. "Nope. You've all become like family to me. So as far as I'm concerned, you're all aunties!"

"I don't mind sharing the responsibility," said Mary. "I wouldn't be a very fun aunt."

"What are you talking about?" Xiangfei exclaimed. "You're badass! You can scare the kid with cool bedtime stories based off all your detective work. And you drive a motorcycle! Mai's kid is probably gonna worship you."

"If you think about it, we're all badass aunts," said Yuri. "We can all fight, most of us can cook..."

"Hey!" King snapped.

"Well, you have other gifts, King," Yuri went on. "You can teach the kid to be a mix-master..."

"Really, Yuri?" Mary chided.

The karate girl rolled her eyes. "_After _he's twenty-one, of course! Ooh, they could fly to South Town for that birthday, and King could mix them their first drink!"

"I can always entertain them with my eating talents, not just cooking skills," Xiangfei pointed out, as she made more poached eggs disappear.

"And _I'll _be the fun aunt!" Yuri exclaimed. "The one who lets them eat ice cream for breakfast!"

"Is that something to brag about in front of the kid's mom?" Mary asked her.

"Well, one of us has to be the fun aunt!" Yuri huffed. "And you just said it wasn't going to be you! So I called it!"

As the other four women continued their back-and-forth exchange, Mai simply sat and listened to them, her brown eyes taking on a rare contemplative glow as she reflected on how lucky she was that they had all come into her life, and how lucky the baby would be after it was born, growing up with aunts like these...

* * *

ADDITIONAL NOTES

I didn't want to do any scenes at the baby shower itself, because I've been to one, and they _are _scary. And it's not just because I'm a guy. My wife hated it, too. I mean, those games Mary describes... are actual baby shower games.

Also, I'm gonna be spending the rest of this fic tiptoeing around Lilly Kane, because I kind of regret introducing her in "No Touching." I just felt like giving Joe a date for Terry's wedding, and she was the most logical choice. Now I have to live with it.

And "gomennasai" is a Japanese apology. Keeping your shoes off while indoors, even in some public places, is a big part of their culture. But I'm sure you already knew that.

Up next: what I think will be the last chapter. Though it might be a month before I post it. As I type this, it's the beginning of May, and I'm taking an international trip on the 16th. So a lot of my time over the next few weeks will be going towards preparing for that trip. But I'm hoping your patience will be well-rewarded. Will the baby be a boy or girl? And what will they name it? Stay tuned...


	11. A Long-Awaited Delivery

Well, it's been a fun trip. But it's finally time for Mai to have her baby. So without further adieu, here's the last chapter. Enjoy!

All characters are the property of SNK/Playmore. I don't own them, the video games or the anime.

* * *

_Chapter Eleven: A Long-Awaited Delivery_

**December 3rd, 2001**

A light snow was falling outside the dojo, but Mai Shiranui-Bogard was quite warm as she sat in the rocking chair of the nursery, dressed in a red kimono with a haori draped over her shoulders. Her sewing needles were out, and she was putting the finishing touches on a soft baby blanket made of lavender felt.

The kunoichi paused in her work to glance around the nursery, admiring how homey the room looked now. After the initial yellow coat of paint had gone onto the walls, Mai had spent the next month stenciling in and painting smaller designs: clouds, cherry blossoms, smiling ladybugs and caterpillars, and other things to add to the soft, relaxing ambience of the room. The rocking chair Mai sat in was by the window, with the bookcase to her immediate left. It was less than half-full of books at the moment, but they would likely get more. Most of the books currently on the shelves were gifts from the baby shower guests, though Andy had bought one or two of them. He'd shown actual excitement (a rare thing for him) when he'd found a Japanese print version of some book called "Go, Dog, Go." Mai had never read it, but Andy insisted that no child should be without it. Mai found that extremely amusing, seeing as how Andy didn't like dogs in real life, but she kept that to herself.

Along the wall to Mai's right, closest to the door, was the crib that she herself had slept in as a baby. She'd managed to locate it in one of the dojo's storage sheds, and after it had been vigorously scrubbed down by her and Andy, it was now ready for Mai's own little one. Above the crib hung a mobile that Andy had attached to the ceiling. The designs on it were black and white, and after the baby was five months old, Mai would put up a new mobile with colored designs.

Against the wall opposite where she sat was the changing table, genie, and the dresser. On top of the dresser sat the gift Mai had received from her sisters the day after her shower, along with an oversized plush maneki-neko, or "lucky cat," which had been a present from Jubei Yamada on his most recent visit.

_This room is so cozy now,_ Mai thought as she resumed her work on the blanket. She sat by the window, where outside the white flakes drifted lazily to the ground, which only added to the warm feeling inside. _It's only missing one thing_. As if in response to this, Mai felt a kick against her stomach. She exhaled sharply and paused again to place a hand on her huge, bulbous gut, which now stuck out like a watermelon against the loose fabric of her kimono. A large pair of fetal headphones were attached to her belly, and the music being piped into her womb was Beethoven's sixth symphony.

_Not what I would have chosen, but Andy is afraid that the music I like will traumatize the kid. _"Don't like this, baby?" Mai spoke softly to her stomach. "Well, someday I'll play you some real music." She smiled as she reached over to the glass of wine resting on the bookcase, took a small sip, and then got back to sewing.

"Mai?" She heard her husband's voice a few minutes later.

"I'm in the nursery, honey!" She called out. A short time after that, Andy appeared in the doorway, dressed in his fighting costume with a towel draped over his shoulders.

For a moment, Mai seemed confused by what her husband was wearing. "Was there class today?" She asked him. After her stomach had grown to the point where it made moving around much harder, Mai had stopped watching the classes from the sidelines, so she hadn't been keeping up with the schedule as much as she should have been.

"Yup," said Andy. "It just got out."

"Ah, how'd it go?"

"It went well. Hachiro-san is almost ready to move to the next grade in his Taijutsu forms. I think a lot of students are missing you, though."

Mai laughed. "Are they missing _me_? Or just something about me?"

"Um..." Andy faltered, unsure of how to answer that.

She laughed louder. "It's okay, Andy. I know what guys like. But honestly, I'm really starting to miss being a sensei. I can't wait until I can get more active again."

Andy moved over to her chair, placed a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Me neither. It's tough teaching by myself. I can do it, but I'd rather have a partner."

Mai laid her sewing tools down on the top of the bookcase and put her hands over Andy's. "Well, you know, Andy," she said, turning her gaze up so her rich brown eyes met his blue. "You'll still be flying solo for a few months after this baby comes out. I'll need to get back into shape before I feel comfortable putting my kunoichi uniform back on."

"You know that I think you look beautiful right now, Mai. As beautiful as you looked that night when we shared our first kiss."

Mai gave him a sad smile and patted his hand. She used to think she was rocking the pregnant look, but lately it had gotten a lot harder to feel sexy. Mainly because Mai's confidence was a little shaken, due to how limited her activities had gotten in this trimester. Even the simple acts of standing up, walking, and sitting down were hard to do without feeling pain. "I know you think that, Andy, and I know you mean it. But it's hard for me to _feel_ beautiful right now. I mean, I used to be able to jump up onto the roof of the dojo in one leap, without using a stepladder. I miss little things like that, or being able to execute my Deadly Ninja Bee attack. Even low impact exercise has gotten harder for me to do. And I know, deep down, it's all worth it, but it still annoys me at times." She shook her head and resumed working. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling..."

"It's okay. Ramble all you want." Andy leaned down and planted a kiss on her scalp. Then he asked her: "How's the blanket coming?"

"It should be almost ready in another hour," Mai said, happy to find something baby-related to discuss. "Almost, because I'll still need to embroider the baby's name into one of the corners, after they're born." She paused to take another sip of wine.

Andy scowled at seeing that. "Mai... should you be drinking?"

She shrugged. "Andy, this kid is coming out sometime in the next few weeks. At this point, it's safe to have an occasional glass of wine. The doctor even told me so."

At hearing that, Andy let himself relax. It was then that his eyes fell upon all the boxes of diapers stacked against the far wall, between the changing table and the bookcase. The stack reached almost to the ceiling. "You really think we'll need that many?" Andy asked his wife.

"Couldn't hurt to be ready," Mai answered. "You remember Chikako-san?"

"Your old friend from high school? She came to the shower, right?"

"Yup. She's a mother of two, and she assured me you can never have too many diapers. So we'll use what we need, and as the baby outgrows them, we'll donate whatever's left."

"Okay," said Andy. His blue eyes then moved to the bookcase, in particular the bottle of wine which Mai had poured from. He made a face when he saw the familiar figure on its label. "You know, I still can't believe you buy Laurence Blood's wine."

Mai laughed. "I guess you could call it Stockholm Syndrome. Yeah, he defeated me, tied me up, interrogated me, knocked me out, and used me as bait, but I have to admit: he's a _VERY _good winemaker."

Andy laughed with her. "I'll take your word, Mai. _I'll _never drink that stuff."

Mai shrugged, took another sip. "Okay, more for me." She then gave a small shudder, leaned forward slightly in the chair. "The baby is really kicking today," the ninja girl explained to her husband. "I don't think they like the music I'm playing. Maybe I _should _put on some Rob Zombie, or early Metallica..."

"Um... really?" Andy made another face, this one even deeper than the the first.

His wife laughed even louder. "No, Andy, I'm kidding."

"Oh, okay." He breathed a sigh of relief. "You know, Mai, speaking of kicking: at what age do we want to start our kid's training?"

"Well, Ojisama and Tou-chan started training me when I was old enough to walk," said Mai. "But it's interesting. That first year, pretty much all we did was play games: hopscotch, hide and seek, and other kid's stuff. But looking back, they kept putting unique spins on them."

Andy raised his brow curiously. "In what way?"

"Well, for example, when we played hide and seek, every time Ojisama was 'it' he would never count out loud. Or announce when he was coming. And then when he found me, I'd tell him he was cheating, and he would say that your enemy will almost never announce themselves. And I feel like he and my dad put that spin on a lot of the games we played, to better prepare my mind and body for when we started to work on beginner's katas. I'll have to look in his books to see if he wrote anything about that, because I think I want to start training our kid that same way, when they can walk."

"That's interesting," Andy said. "I don't think you've ever told me this before, but it sounds like a fun way to ease a young mind into training. I hope we can do that."

Mai gave him a smile. "I do, too."

Andy then took the towel draped around his shoulders and dabbed his face with it. "Well, I'm gonna go shower and change. Is there anything I can get you first?"

"Hmmmm," Mai thought for a moment, then gave her stomach another pat. "Nope, I think I have everything I need."

"Okay." Andy started to leave the room, got halfway when Mai said his name again. He turned back towards her.

"Actually, Andy, can you help me up? I think I need to pee." Mai placed her sewing equipment and the blanket on top of the bookcase next to her wine, and held her hands out to Andy.

Andy smiled as he took Mai's hand on his own, wrapping his other arm around her lower back. After she was standing, Mai took a few deep breaths, and then kissed her husband on the cheek. "Thanks, baby!"

"Of course," Andy replied. "Call if you need anything else."

"I will," Mai said over her shoulder, as she was already walking towards the door, moving as fast as her belly would let her towards the closest bathroom.

* * *

**December 18th, 2001**

"Andy, I think it's time."

Andy looked up from the dish of rice and natto he had heated for himself to see his wife standing in the kitchen, both hands clutching the bulge of her belly. "You... don't think this could be a false alarm?" He asked her.

Mai shook her head. "I've been timing the contractions, like the doctor said. For the past hour and a half, they've been lasting about a minute, and they're happening every four to five minutes. I... I think this baby is coming."

Andy sat up suddenly, dropping his chopsticks to the tiled floor with a clatter. "Oh, God... Mai, we're having a baby, aren't we?" He rushed to his wife's side, and started to move her to the chair he'd just vacated. "Okay, just stay calm. Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm..."

"I am calm, Andy," Mai said softly.

"I know, I'm talking to myself." He helped Mai into the chair, and then began to pace the kitchen while speaking in a rapid tone. "Okay, I need to get the travel bag that we put together. I need to call the doctor, then a cab, then I need to call Terry. I hope I'm not forgetting anything. Am I forgetting something?"

"Andy, look at me!"

Andy paused in his pacing to look at Mai, who sat there with her hands in her lap, taking deep breaths and radiating control. "Everything will be fine," the kunoichi told her husband. "Just breathe, okay? Keep taking deep, slow breaths, and make those phone calls. I feel good right now, so there's no need to worry. We'll make it to the hospital."

As Andy reached for the phone that hung on the kitchen wall, he couldn't help but laugh. "It's ironic. I'm supposed to be the one telling _you _to relax."

Mai gave him a sly smile. "Well, I was prepared to step up. I had a feeling you might need some help."

"Thanks, Mai."

"Of course. We're a team. Now call the doctor, honey."

Andy laughed again, and started to dial. A short time later, the couple were making their way across the courtyard, Andy with one arm around Mai, while his other hand clutched a travel bag containing clean clothes and some personal items for them both. Mai was dressed comfortably in baggy maternity clothes (which would be easier for her to remove at the hospital), a parka and earmuffs.

"So, I only called my brother," Andy told her. "I've asked him to pass the word along to everyone else. Though maybe I should call Joe after we get there. Should I call him, too? Or do you think Terry already did?"

"You're rambling, Andy," Mai said calmly. "Slow, steady breaths, okay? Everything will be fine."

Andy took in a deep breath, blew it out sharply after holding it for a few seconds. "Okay, Mai, you're right. You and I have faced a lot worse than this."

Mai giggled. "Easy for you to say, Andy. I'm the one popping the baby out."

Andy took another deep breath. "And you think that might be worse than some of the evil entities we've faced at King of Fighters?"

Mai took a breath, as well, feeling another contraction. "I'll let you know soon enough."

When they got to the top of the long stone stairway, Andy shouldered the bag, then picked up his wife and began to carry her bridal-style down towards the waiting cab.

Mai giggled and threw her arms around his neck. "Ooh, look at _you_, my sweet, noble warrior." As they were racing against time, however, the ninja girl had decided it would be best to hold her pride in check and let Andy carry her down, since it was faster.

Andy laughed, gazing into his wife's eyes as he descended the stairs. "I love you, Mai."

Mai kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, too, baby. I can't believe this is happening. Soon, we're finally going to meet our baby. We'll be parents!"

At the mention of that, Andy found himself taking deep, relaxing breaths again as he carried Mai down to the cab that would take them to the hospital.

* * *

_Thirty-six hours later..._

"Rise and shine, you two!" Joe Higashi shouted at the couple dozing on the couch in front of him. Terry Bogard and Mary Ryan were seated back to back, leaning against each other for support as they slept. Terry's cap was pulled down over his eyes, while his wife had her jacket draped over her face like a blanket.

They were on the delivery and maternity floor of Mino's hospital, in the waiting room, and the other couches were occupied by Ryo and Yuri Sakazaki, King, Robert Garcia and Jubei Yamada. Both Joe and Jubei, who were in Japan, looked the hardiest of them all. Everyone else had gotten on whatever flight they could grab at the last minute, and out of all the couples, Terry and Mary had been the latest. Joe had waited in Tokyo for their flight to land at Haneda Airport, so he could drive them down to Mino. Everyone else had arrived at the hospital in time for Andy to tell them when Mai had just started to go into labor. Most of them had already found time for naps.

Now they were all waiting. And doing their best to stay awake. Both Terry and Mary started at the sound of Joe's voice. The kick-boxer smiled and held out a cardboard tray, which had three cups of coffee on it. He took one of the cups and offered the other two to his friends. "You can sleep when you're back at your hotel. After you've met the new addition to the family."

Terry stretched slightly and took one of the offered coffee cups. "Thanks, dude," he said to his brother-in-arms, and drank deep from the paper cup. Mary offered similar gratitude and accepted the other coffee.

"That's so sweet!" Yuri said, as she snapped a picture with the digital camera around her neck. "Uncle Terry and Aunt Mary sharing coffee together!" Robert had given his girlfriend the camera as a birthday present a week and a half ago, and ever since they'd arrived at the hospital, Yuri had been taking pictures almost non-stop.

"Do you _need _to get pictures of everything?" Ryo chided his sister.

"Hey, this is an important moment," Yuri said. "Andy and Mai's first child coming into the world! I'm sure they'll be glad someone recorded everything for posterity!"

Ryo rolled his eyes. "Sure. Like that picture you took of the vending machines in the hospital waiting room. I'm sure they'll be glad someone remembered to record those."

Yuri sat up a little straighter. "Hey, those vending machines were awesome! Way cooler than American vending machines. Why don't we have machines that cool back home?"

"Those _were _pretty cool," King said. "I've never seen machines that advanced back in the States."

"Me neither," Robert added. "Besides, why discourage her?" He put an arm around Yuri. "My sweetheart is a shutterbug."

Yuri giggled at the mention of that. "You think I should go pro, baby?"

Robert shrugged. "Couldn't hurt to try."

Yuri giggled again. "Aw, Robbie... You gave me the best birthday present ever!" The two of them then started making out, much to the disgust of Ryo.

"Aw, come on, wait until you're back in your own hotel room!" He shouted at them.

"Now, now, it's always nice to see young love!" Jubei Yamada said as he watched the shameless public display of affection.

Ryo was not amused by the look in Jubei's eyes. "That's my sister, old man!" He snapped, his expression suggesting that he was _this _close to unleashing a Haoh Shou Kou Ken on the judo master.

King put a hand on Ryo's arm. "Ryo, we're in a hospital."

"Yeah, meaning that if I _do _hurt him, help is right around the corner."

Jubei was sitting on the chair next to the couch King and Ryo sat on. He moved the bouquet of flowers that he was holding over to his left arm and offered his right hand to King in greeting. "You look familiar, young lady. Didn't we meet at Mai's wedding?"

Ryo looked ready to jump out of his seat, but King put a restraining hand on his shoulder. "I've got this," she whispered to her boyfriend. She then accepted Jubei's handshake, and while slowly applying pressure to his hand, told him: "Yes. I remember you. I also remember you're a very old friend of Mai's family. She said she's known you her whole life. So she was sure to tell me _all_ about your reputation." By now, she was squeezing Jubei's hand so hard that he was starting to squirm uncomfortably. "Which I hope, for your sake, will _not_ present a problem while we're here. Are we good?"

"Um... yes, of course we are," Jubei said, trying to pull his hand back. After another few moments, during which her blue eyes were locked firmly with Jubei's dark brown, King let go, and the old master took his hand back, rubbing it while muttering: "Damn this new century. This used to be so much easier for me..."

King turned back to her boyfriend and gave Ryo a pat on the wrist. "See, Ryo? Problem solved. And with a minimum of force."

Ryo laughed and kissed her forehead. "God, that's hot."

After everyone shared a good laugh over that, Mary yawned and took a swig of her coffee. "Have we heard anything else, since Mai went into labor?" She asked.

Robert shook his head. "Nope. Andy hasn't been back out since he told us that."

"I'm sure everything is fine," Joe said. "Mai's been doing the low-impact exercises her doctor recommended, at least that's what Andy told me. I'm sure that kid'll have no problems coming out."

"We can only hope," Terry remarked. A few minutes after he said this, the swinging double doors leading out to the waiting room suddenly opened, and Andy Bogard emerged, dressed in a pair of green scrubs, his long blond hair tucked under a hospital cap. His blue eyes had an almost dreamy look in them as he approached those assembled, a look that none of them had ever seen on him before.

"I'm... I'm a dad," he told them when he got close. "It's a boy. Seven pounds, three ounces, and healthy. Mai and the baby are both doing fine."

For the next several minutes, Andy was the subject of several handshakes and back-slaps from the men assembled, as well as King and Mary. Yuri laughed as she gave Andy a hug. "Congratulations, Andy!" She said. "Can we see them?"

"Yup," Andy answered her. "They just finished cleaning up the baby, and they moved him and Mai to a quieter room. Follow me." Andy led the group through the double doors and down several hallways. Eventually, they came to an open door that a nurse was exiting from.

"Mrs. Bogard is expecting you," the nurse told them. "But please, keep your voices down." Then she motioned to the flowers Jubei was holding: "Would you like me to find a vase for those, sir?"

Jubei nodded, and gave a small bow as he handed her the bouquet. "Domo, my dear. Such a helpful young lady..."

"Not the time, sensei," Andy cut him off, and then he led the group inside the room. At first, the room's only other occupant did not seem to notice them, as she was too preoccupied. Mai looked like she'd been through a wringer: her large brown eyes were bloodshot, with heavy dark circles under them, and her auburn bangs were plastered to her forehead with sweat. Her ponytail was just barely holding together, with frizzled ends sticking out all over it.

Yet despite her disheveled appearance, Mai Shiranui-Bogard... was positively glowing. Even through the fatigue clouding her eyes, the light of love shone brightly as she gazed down at the swaddled newborn in her arms. The look on her face was that of someone who had realized the totality of complete happiness. Mai's lip quivered as she softly caressed the baby's cheek with her fingertips.

After a moment, all the eyes in the room turned from Mai to Andy, who was smiling at his wife and son. Andy gently cleared his throat to get Mai's attention. "I've brought them, Mai," he said, and then moved over to her side at the bed.

Mai looked up at those assembled, and her tired eyes shone even brighter. "Welcome, everyone," she said softly. "I'm so happy you all could make it. Come closer, and say hello to little Jeffrey."

As they all approached the bed, Terry glanced at his brother, who was also gazing down at the baby. "You... named him Jeffrey?" He asked Andy.

"Of course," Andy said with a nod. "Me and Mai both agreed from the beginning that if the baby was a boy, we'd name him that. We couldn't name him anything else."

Mai nodded, as well. "Jeffrey Tadatsugu Shiranui-Bogard. In honor of his grandfathers."

"It's a good name," Ryo said.

Terry shook his head. "No, it's a great name." He gave Mai a friendly peck on her forehead, then reached over and clapped Andy on the shoulder. "Dad... would be very proud if he were here."

"I know," said Andy. "And he'd be spoiling the kid rotten."

For the next few minutes, all the focus was on the baby in Mai's arms. The child was asleep, swaddled in a soft blanket. His face was still bright red, a bit wrinkled from his nine-month immersion in the womb, and his hair had yet to start growing. But Mai gazed down at him like his was the most beautiful face she'd ever seen. Everyone else couldn't help but gaze, as well.

Jubei reached over and gently tickled the baby's chin. "He looks just like his mommy and daddy," the old master said with a chuckle.

"He's so cute, Mai!" Yuri squealed as she gazed down at him. "Isn't he adorable, Robbie?"

"He is," Robert said with a smile, and put his arm around Yuri's waist.

"He _is _a cute kid," Joe said, and reached over to give his friend a handshake. "You done good, Andy!"

Andy laughed. "Tell that to Mai. She did all the hard work. My part in this was easy!" Andy then moved his gaze over to his wife and son, blue eyes shining with pride.

"You look good, Mai," King told her friend. "I'm really happy for you. How are you feeling?"

Mai gave a loud sigh. "Like I've just been through ten fighting tournaments, back to back. I'm exhausted, hungry, sweaty, and everything below the waist hurts like hell." A smile spread across her lips, then, and she gently caressed her baby's smooth scalp. "But I've never been happier. He was worth every minute of it! I'd go through it again, twice as long if I had to, for this moment."

"I can tell," King said with a nod. The last time she'd seen Mai looking so happy was at her wedding.

"I think Master Jubei is right," Robert said to the new parents. "He _does _look like you guys."

"You're gonna be a badass ninja someday, aren't you, little guy?" Terry said, and also gave Jeffrey a small chin-tickle.

Mary had been strangely silent the whole time, looking down at Jeffrey with some slight unease on her face. Mai noticed this and held the baby in Mary's direction. "Here, Mary, say hi to your nephew!"

Mary sputtered as the baby was gently pushed into her arms. "Um, no, Mai, that's okay. I... I don't need to..."

"It's all right, Mary, honey," Mai cut her off. "I trust you with him. Just remember to support his head. The rest is easy."

"Mai, I'm fine, really!" Mary went on, but it was too late. A few seconds later, the detective had the baby tucked in her arms, his head resting on the crook of her left elbow. Mary looked down at him with her eyes wide, like she was holding a priceless six-hundred year-old Ming dynasty vase, and was terrified of dropping it.

After a few moments, Mary cleared her throat. "Um... hi there," she said to the sleeping infant. "I'm... your Aunt Mary. You're... pretty tiny, aren't you?"

Several people in the room were trying to control their laughter. Yuri's camera was out, and the karate girl was snapping several pictures. "Um, I want veto power over those pictures!" Mary said to Yuri.

"What's wrong, Mary?" Yuri said with a giggle. "Afraid to let the world see your soft side?"

"No!" Mary said defensively. "I just... wanna be sure I'm not making any funny faces in them."

Mai was now giggling, as well. "You're a natural with him, Mary," the kunoichi said to her sister-in-law.

"I'm glad you think so, Mai," Mary said. "Now, can someone else please take him?"

"Ooh, gimme, gimme, gimme!" Yuri quickly put the camera away and held out her arms to Mary. A few moments later, Jeffrey was being held by his godmother.

"Oh, you are just so cute!" Yuri cooed at the newborn. "I could eat you alive, you're just too precious! Yes you are! You're so cute, your Auntie Yuri could eat you alive!"

Just then, the baby stirred a little in Yuri's arms, and started to emit a high-pitched wail, stopping only to take breaths in.

"Smooth move, sis!" Ryo chided her. "You already broke it!"

Mai laughed and held her arms out to her friend. "Here, Yuri, give him to me. He's just hungry!"

As the baby was being placed back in Mai's arms, the nurse appeared in the doorway. She was holding a vase that she'd placed Jubei's flowers in, and she set it down on the table by the door before addressing the group. "All right, everyone. It's time for Mrs. Bogard to try and nurse him. Please give the parents some privacy. You can come back to see them later."

"Aw, we can't stay and watch?" Jubei asked with a sad shake of his head.

"Don't push me, master," Mai growled menacingly at him. "I'm still packing a fan on me."

"Trust me, she is," said Andy. "I don't know where, but she's got it. She hit one of the doctors with it when she was in labor."

Everyone laughed over that, and after saying congratulations to the new parents (and promising to check back later, after they'd gotten some sleep), they filed out into the hallway and headed back towards the waiting room.

"He was cute, wasn't he?" Ryo remarked to King.

"Yeah, he was," King answered, knowing where Ryo was going with this. "I just... I've got a few years of fighting and competing left in me first. Maybe when I hit thirty-five, I'll be ready to settle down..."

"You _did _look like a natural holding Jeffrey," Terry said to his wife.

"I fooled everyone pretty good, then" Mary said with a nervous laugh. "I was sure I was gonna drop him. I mean, we're both jet-lagged..."

Terry laughed and put an arm around her as they walked. After a few moments, Mary remarked: "But... maybe someday, if we both feel like it... we can adopt one who's past the baby phase. So I don't have to worry about giving them brain damage."

Terry laughed louder. "Yeah, maybe."

The only ones who weren't having an awkward conversation were Yuri and Robert. "Someday... right, Robbie?" Yuri asked him as they walked arm in arm.

"Absolutely, babe," Robert answered her. "Just as soon as I think it's safe to ask your dad for his blessing."

"I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures of Jeffrey while we're here. Maybe those will help convince him."

Robert laughed. "Couldn't hurt to try."

"I should talk to Lilly when her flight gets in," Joe said, half to himself.

"Are you actually ready to rethink kids?" Terry chided him.

Joe shrugged. "Well, it would be nice for JT to have some cousins."

"JT?" Ryo asked him.

"The nickname I gave him," Joe explained. "That other name is too much of a mouthful."

"You may not want to use that around Mai," Terry warned.

"I think it's a cute nickname," Jubei remarked as the group continued down the hallway.

* * *

A short time later, after Jeffrey had finished eating, Mai used one hand to pull her hospital gown back into place. She then smiled down at her son as she used a cloth to gently dab at his mouth. Not even the pre-natal classes had really prepared Mai for the odd sensation of nursing her baby. It had felt a little strange, but the entire time, Mai had watched him with an almost rapt fascination. A part of her still couldn't believe this was real, that she was finally holding her child, feeding him at her breast, and that his father was Mai's Prince Charming, the only man Mai had ever loved.

"You know, Andy," Mai said out loud to her husband, who was seated next to the bed. "If I were to go back in time ten years, and tell my past self that by the end of this year, she'd be married to the man of her dreams, and they'd have a son together, I don't think I would have believed myself. I mean, my past self wouldn't believe the present me. I... does that make sense?"

Andy smiled and placed a hand on Mai's shoulder. "It makes sense, Mai."

"That's good," Mai said, and gazed lovingly down at her son once again. "He's so perfect, isn't he, Andy?" The ninja girl stifled a yawn as she spoke.

Andy leaned forward a little more. "Do you want me to take him, Mai? I can finish burping him. You look like you're gonna pass out."

Mai yawned again. "I hate to stop holding him, but... I _am _tired. I should probably rest." She kissed her son on his forehead and whispered: "Mommy loves you very much, Jeffrey-chan." Then she passed the child over to Andy. "Thanks, Andy."

"Of course," Andy told her. "We're a team." He moved the baby into a different position on his lap, keeping the neck supported with one hand while he used the other to pat Jeffrey on the back, just like he'd been shown in the classes.

Mai turned slightly in the bed and smiled as she watched him, her brown eyes shining. Andy hadn't cried the first time he'd held Jeffrey, like Mai had, but the ninja girl had seen a small glint in the corner of one of his eyes. And she'd remembered the look on his face as he gazed down at his child, a look she'd seen many times on it over the years. Her husband did not always say what he felt out loud, but that look told Mai everything she'd needed to know about his feelings at that moment: that Andy loved his son, and there was nothing he wouldn't do for the boy.

A short time later, the baby emitted a small burp. Andy wiped his mouth and settled Jeffrey back down against his arm. "That's good, buddy," he whispered to his son.

Mai giggled, even though she was rapidly losing consciousness. "You look so relaxed with him, Andy, honey. I told you you had nothing to be afraid of."

Andy laughed nervously. "I don't know about that. I haven't tried giving him a bath yet."

"You'll be fine, Andy," Mai said, her voice becoming inaudible as she sank back in her pillow. "I'll be there to help. Like you said, we're a team. We'll always be there... to help each other out."

Andy leaned forward and kissed Mai gently on her soft, red lips. "I love you, Mai," he whispered.

"I love you, Andy," Mai whispered back. "You've made me so happy. We're parents now..." Mai's voice trailed off as her fatigue finally overwhelmed her, and she drifted into dreamland.

As Andy watched her doze peacefully, he realized that he was fading himself. "Excuse me, Mr. Bogard." Andy looked up to see the nurse standing over his chair. "Why don't you let me take him for you? I'll bed him down in the nursery so you and your wife can rest. I'll bring him back when it's time for him to nurse again."

"Domo," Andy said to her with a small bow of his head. He kissed Jeffrey on the forehead, and then handed him to the nurse, who nodded politely and then left them. After she was gone, Andy stayed awake for a few more minutes, watching his wife. Even after all this time, he still thought Mai looked like an angel when she slept.

As he admired her, Andy found himself thinking of the last thing she'd said. _We're parents now... _There was a time when that would have frightened him. But now, with Mai at his side, he felt like it was a challenge that he was ready to face.

_I love you so much, Mai, _he thought as he gazed at her. _I'll die before I ever see you or Jeffrey come to harm. _He kissed her tenderly on the forehead, then rested his head against her shoulder, and drifted off to sleep as well. The new parents slept soundly, both of them realizing that such a sleep would likely be a rare thing, once they left the hospital...

THE END... AND THE BEGINNING.

* * *

ADDITIONAL NOTES

So, I've read different schools of thought on drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Some of what I've read says that no alcohol is best, while some studies show that light drinking (no more than two glasses per week) at eight or nine months doesn't hurt the baby. Mai's doctor is a bit older in my fic (I implied that he also delivered Mai), so I like to think his school of thought would be that a glass of wine in the ninth month is safe. But in case any pregnant women are reading this: use your own judgment.

According to the SNK wiki, Yuri's birthday is December 7th. And it looks like in my own ficverse, Jeffrey Tadatsugu's birthday is either the 19th or the 20th of December. No significance to the date, simply that December was the ninth month for Mai. But I think it's kind of cool that her son's birthday is only about ten days before hers. I guess I was thinking of my own mother, whose birthday is only ten days before mine.

I knew when I started writing this that I wasn't going to show the actual childbirth, only the aftermath. I watched a childbirth in one of my student film classes, and it was disgusting. No offense to any moms reading this, but the actual birth of a baby is gross. So I only showed the aftermath.

Also, a newborn baby can't use its neck muscles for the first few months, so if you hold them, you have to support their head.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed reading this. Thank you for your patience in waiting for this final chapter. As always, feel free to review. I'll see you next fic!


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